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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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FARMING FOR BOYS. 



WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, AND WHAT OTHERS MAY DO, 
IX THE CULTIVATION OF FARM AND GARDEN, 



HOW TO BEGIN, HOW TO PROCEED, AND WHAT TO AIM AT. 



BY THE AUTHOR OF 

**TEN ACRES ENOUGH." 



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WITH ILL USTRA TIONS. 



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BOSTON: 
D. LOTHROP & COMPANY, 

FRANKLIN ST., CORNER OF HAWLEY. 



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Copyright, 1881, 
By D. Lothrop & Company. 



PREFACE. 



AMONG the multitude of recent publications designed 
exclusively for boys there are very few which set before 
them the superior charm, as well as the general superior 
safety, of a farmer's life. The pervading tendency of modern 
publications for the youthful mind has been to fit them for 
trade or commerce in the great cities, as if those human hives 
were the only spots whereon men could be prosperous and 
happy. Examples of friendless adventurers from the country 
to the city, who there rose to fortune, have been largely set 
before the youthful mind, while no proper notice has been 
taken of the much more numerous class of boys who, begin- 
ning as rakers in the hay-field, thence rose to the position of 
successful farmers, and subsequently to that of statesmen or 
public benefactors. 

The charm of city life has been unduly magnified, while the 
greater one of country life has been overlooked. Our boys 
have thus too generally been taught to think the former pref- 
erable to the latter. Experience of the trials which belong 
to it in the end convinces them of the mistake they made in 



iv PREFACE. 

leaving the green fields of their childhood for the dust and 
turmoil of the city. Many are annually repeating it, stimu- 
lated to do so by the tone of most of our publications, and by 
the advice of parents and friends to whom these have given a 
false coloring of the truth. Many are thus regretting the day 
when they abandoned the wide harvest-field for the narrow 
counter of a city shop ; and too many sigh in vain for the 
great fortune they were speedily to acquire, and for liberty to 
once more return and labor on the old homestead on which 
they were born. If in early life insensible to its attractions, 
because no one taught them to understand and appreciate 
them, they feel and comprehend them now. 

This little volume has been prepared to counteract, to some 
extent, this prevalent disposition for encouraging our youth 
to exchange the country for the city, — to convince those 
already living in the former that their future respectability 
and happiness will be best promoted by remaining where they 
are, as well as to impress on the minds of city parents that 
they will be doing for their sons an acceptable service by cul- 
tivating in them a love for country fife in place of that for a 
city one. I have set before them striking instances of the 
general superiority of agricultural employments, of their com- 
parative freedom from temptation to vice, of the sure rewards 
they bring to intelligently directed industry, and shown that it 
is a great mistake to suppose that all who exchange the farm 
for the city become either good, or great, or even rich. The 



PREFACE. V 

fact 13 made manifest, in the personal history of a multitude 
of distinguished men, that the farm, and not the city, has 
been the birthplace of the leading minds of all countries. 

To stimulate the faculty or disposition for acquiring money, 
I have endeavored to show how the boy upon a farm may 
make a beginning. Heretofore, the children of too many far- 
mers have been kept as mere drudges, now at school and now 
at work, with no pains taken to encourage their individual 
enterprise by showing them how to make something for them- 
selves. The hope of profit nerves the enterprise and sharp- 
ens the wit of men. Why should our boys be so wholly 
excluded from all share in what, when grown to manhood, so 
generally becomes the great impulse to all future effort ? 

The mass of farmers' boys understand that they must carve 
out their own fortunes. If their parents would afford them 
some little opportunity to begin early, — an equal one with 
the sharp newsboy of the city, — they too would become so 
shrewd, so self-reliant, so expert at acquisition, even on the 
farm, that, educated to moderation, they would be too well sat- 
isfied with small gains to be overcome by the seductions of 
city life. If it be mere money which makes the latter attrac- 
tive, a certainty of being able to acquire it at home would 
seem to be potent enough to surround with greater attractions 
the spot on which the farmer's boy may have been born. 

Burlington, N. J., 1868. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 

A Neglected Farm. — Tony King, the Orphan. — History of 
Uncle Benny. — Nothing like being handy with Tools . . i 

CHAPTER II. 

All Farming is a Job. — Stopping a great Leak. — Giving Boys 
A Chance. — A Lecture in the Barn. — Working One's Way up . i6 

CHAPTER III. 

A Poor Dinner. — What Surface Drainage means. — The Value 
OF Drainage. — A wet Barn-yard. — What constitutes Manure. 
— Help yourself. — The Young Pedler 31 

CHAPTER IV. 

Idlers in the Barn. — Uncle Benny's Notions. — How to make 
A Beginning. — Leaving the Farm. — Boys and Girls. — Don't 
QUIT the Farm 46 

CHAPTER V. 

Something to do. — The Value of Pigeons. — Buying Pigs and 
Pigeons. — The Old Battle-Ground at Trenton. — How to 
KEEP Pigeons 64 



Viii CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VI. 

Building a Pig-Pen.— How to keep Pigs. — A great Increase — 
Two Acres of Corn. — Liquid Manure the Life of a Plant . 82 

CHAPTER VII. 

Visit to a Model Farm. — The Story of Robert Allen. — How 
TO raise Horseradish. — No such Thing as Luck ... 99 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Never kill the Birds. — Pets of all Kinds. — What Underdrain- 
ING means. — More Horseradish. — Encouraging the Boys . 117 

CHAPTER IX. 

How TO manage a Peacii-Orctiard. - a B^y's Work-shop. — A 
Crowd of Poultry. — Making the Hens lay. — A Boys' Library 132 

CHAPTER X. 

Having a Dozen Friends. — Killing a Sxak.e. — Cruelty con- 
demned. — Lecture on a Worm-fence. — Value of Agricultural 
Fairs. — A returned Adventurer 141^ 

CHAPTER XI. 

Mismanaging a Horse. — Value of an Inch of Rain. — Plant- 
ing A Tree. — Value of sharp Hoes. — A Tree-Pedler. — How 
Plants Grow i6q 

CHAPTER XII. 

A GREAT Brier-Patch. — Putting it to good Use. — Amazing the 
Neighbors . 1S8 



CONTENTS. IX 

CHAPTER XIII. 

How THE Pets succeeded. — Going to the Fair. — A Young Horse- 
race. — Trying for a Premium 201 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Harvesting Corn. — Taking Care of Blackberries. — Winter 
Sports and Winter Evenings. — Planting Strawberries and 
Raspberries. — Getting the best Tools 214 

CHAPTER XV. 

The old Field again. — Poverty a good Thing. — Gathering the 
Crop. — A great Profit. — Stopping the Croakers. — The Se- 
cret OF Success 23c 

^ HAP PER XVI. 

Play as well as Work. — Fishing and a Fish-Pond. — A bad 
Accident. — Taming a Crow. — Don't kill the Toads. . . 244 

CHAPTER XVII. 

At.l Weather good. — A Disappointment. — Making Money. — 
City and Country Life. — Wealth and its Uses. — Contrast 
between old Times and the Present 260 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Changes on the Farm. — The Boys becoming Men. — Tony and 
his Prospects. — Going into the Army. — A great Discovery. — 
Uncle Benny's Triumph. — Tony King made happy . . . 272 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



■•- 



PAGE 

The young Pedler 41 

Idlers in the Barn 47 

The old Bridge • 75 

The Horseradish-Grinder 103 

Underdraining 123 

The Poultry-Yard 141 

Dishonest Associates 166 

Mismanaging a Horse 169 

Blackberry Picking 190 

The Pigeon-Loft 202 

Corn Husking 215 

Fishing in the Creek 245 

The Sentinel of the Squash-Vines. . . 258 

An Unexpected Arrival 279 



FARMING FOR BOYS 



CHAPTER I. 

A. Neglected Farm. — Tony King, the Orphan. — History of Uncli 
Benny. — Nothing like being handy with Tools. 

I ''HERE is an old farm-house in the State ot New Jer- 
•^ sey, not a hundred miles from the city of Trenton, 
having the great railroad which runs between New York 
and Philadelphia so near to it that one can hear the whis- 
tle of the locomotive as it hurries onward every hour in 
the day, and see the trains of cars as they whirl by with their 
loads of living freight. The laborers in the fields along the 
road, though they see these things so frequently, invariably 
pause in their work and watch the advancing train until it 
passes them, and follow it with their eyes until it is nearly 
lost in the distance. The boy leans upon his hoe, the mow- 
er rests upon his scythe, the ploughman halts his horses 
in the furrow, — all stop to gaze upon a spectacle that 
has long ceased to be either a wonder or a novelty. Why 
it is so may be difficult to answer, except that the snort- 
ing combination of wheels, and cranks, and fire, and smoke, 
thundering b) the quiet fields, breaks in upon the monot- 
I 



2 FARMINCi FOR I50VS. 

onous labor of the hand who works alone, with no one 
to converge with. — for the fact is equally curious, that 
gangs of ia\/0Ttrs maRc no pause on the appearance of 
a locomotive. They have companionship enough already. 

This old wooden farm-house was a very shabby affair. 
To look at it, one would be sure that the owner had a 
particular aversion to both paint and whitewash. The 
weather-boarding was fairly honeycombed by age and 
exposure to the sun and rain, and in some places the 
end of a board had dropped off, and hung down a foot 
or two, for want of a nail which everybody about the 
place appeared to be too lazy or neglectful to supply in 
time. One or two of the window-shutters had lost a 
hinge, and they also hung askew, — nobody had thought 
it worth while to drive back the staple when it first be- 
came loose. 

Then there were several broken lights of glass in the 
kitchen windows. As the men about the house neglected 
to have them mended, or to do it themselves by using the 
small bit of putty that would have kept the cracked ones 
from going to pieces, the women had been compeLed to 
keep out the wind and rain by stuffing in the first thing 
that came to hand. There was a bit of red flannel in 
one, an old straw bonnet in another, while in a third, from 
which all the glass was gone, a tolerably good fur hat, 
certainly worth the cost of half a dozen lights, had been 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 3 

crammed in to fill up the vacancy. The whole appearance 
of the windows was deplorable. Some of them had lost 
the little wooden buttons which kept up the sash when 
hoisted, and which anybody could have replaced by whit- 
tling out new ones with his knife ; but as no one did it, and 
as the women must sometimes have the sashes raised, they 
propped them up with pretty big sticks from the wood-pile. 
It was not a nice sight, that of a rough stick as thick as one's 
arm to hold up the sash, especially when, of a sultry day, 
three or four of them were always within view. 

Then the wooden step at the kitchen door, instead of being 
nailed fast to the house, was not only loose, but it rested on 
the ground so unevenly as to tilt over whenever any one 
stepped carelessly on its edge. As the house contained a 
large family, all of whom generally lived in the kitchen, 
there was a great deal of running in and out over this loose 
step. When it first broke away from the building, it gave 
quite a number of severe tumbles to the women and children. 
Everybody complained of it, but nobody mended it, though 
a single stout nail would have held it fast. One dark night 
a pig broke loose, and, snufiing and smelling around the 
premises in search of forage, came upon the loose step, and, 
imagining that he scented a supper in its neighborhood, used 
his snout so vigorously as to push it clear away from the 
door. One of the girls, hearing the noise, stepped out into 
the yard to see what was going on ; but the step being gone, 



4 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

and she not observing it, down she went on hei face, striking 
her nose on the edge of a bucket which some one had left 
exactly in the wrong place, and breaking the bone so badly 
that she will carry a very homely face as long as she lives. 
It was a very painful hurt to the poor girl, and the family 
all grieved over her misfortune ; but not one of the men 
undertook to mend the step. Finally, the mother managed 
to drive down two sticks in front of it, which held it up to 
the house, though not half so firmly as would have been done 
by a couple of good stout nails. 

Things were very much in the same condition all over the 
premises. The fence round the garden, and in fact all about 
the house, was dropping to pieces simply for want of a nail 
here and there. The barn-yard enclosure was strong enough 
to keep the cattle in, but it was a curious exhibition of hasty 
patchwork, that would hurt the eye of any mechanic to look 
at. As to the gates, every one of them rested at one end 
on the ground. It was hard work even for a man to open 
and shut them, as they had to be lifted clear up before 
they could be moved an inch. For a half-grown boy to 
open them was really a very serious undertaking, especially 
in muddy weather. The i^osts had sagged, or the upper 
staples had drawn out, but nobody attended to putting 
them to rights, though it would not have been an hour's 
job to make them all swing as freely as every good farm- 
gate ought to. The barn-yard was a hard place for the 
boys on this farm. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 5 

No touch of whitewash had been spread over either 
house, or fence, or outbuilding, for many years, though 
lime is known to everybody as being one of the surest pre- 
servers of wood-work, as well as the very cheapest, while 
it so beautifully sets off a farm-house to see its surround- 
ings covered once a year with a fresh coat of white. The 
hen-house was of course equally neglected, though white- 
wash is so well known to be an indispensable purifier of 
such places, materially helping to keep away those kinds 
of vermin that prevent poultry from thriving. In fact, the 
absence of lime was so general, that the hens could hardly 
pick up enough to make egg-shells. Had they laid eggs 
without shells, the circumstance would have mortified the 
hens as much as it would have surprised the family. As it 
was, their only dependence was on the pile of lime rubbish 
which was left every spring after whitewashing the kitchen. 
The women who presided there did manage to fix up 
things once a year. They thought lime was good to drive 
away ants and roaches, and so they and the hens were the 
only parties on the premises who used it. 

There were many other things about this farm-house that 
were quite as much neglected, — more than it is worth 
while at present to mention, unless it be the wood-pile. 
Though there were two men on the farm, and several well- 
grown boys, yet the women could rarely prevail on any of 
them to split a single stick of wood. The wood for the 



6 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

house caused great trouble, — it was difficult to get it at 
all. Then when it did come, it was crooked and knotty^ 
much of it such as a woman could not split. Yet when- 
ever a stick or two was wanted, the females of the family 
must run out into the shed to chop and split it. Tn&y 
never could get an armful ahead, such was the strange 
neglect of one of the most indispensable comforts of house- 
keeping. If the female head of the family had only thought 
of letting the male portion go a few times without their 
dinners, it is more than likely they would have brought 
them to terms, and taught them that it was quite as much 
their duty to split the wood as it was hers to cook their 
dinners. But she was a good, easy creature, like most of 
the others. They had all been brought up in the same 
neglectful way, just rubbing along from day to day, never 
getting ahead, but everything getting ahead of them. 

This farmer's name was Philip Spangler, and he was un- 
lucky enough to have a hundred acres in his farm. The 
word tiiilucky is really a very proper one ; because it was 
unlucky for such a man as Philip that he should have so 
much more land than he knew how to manage, and it 
was equally unlucky for the land that it should have so 
poor a manager. The man was perfectly sober, and in his 
own way was a very industrious one. He worked hard him- 
self, and made every one about him do the same. He was 
what is known as a " slaving farmer," — up by daylight, 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 7 

having all hands up and out of doors quite as early as 
himself, and he and they stuck to it as long as they could 
see to work. With him and them it was all work and no 
play. He had no recreations ; he took no newspaper, had 
no reading in the house except the children's school-books, 
the Bible, and an almanac, — which he bought once a year, 
not because he wanted it, but because his wife would have 
it. 

What was very singular in Mr. Spangler's mode of man- 
aging things, when a wet day came on, too rainy for out-of- 
door work, he seemed to have no indoor employments pro- 
vided, either for himself or hands to do, having apparently 
no sort of forethought. On such occasions he let every- 
thing slide, — that is, take care of itself, — and went, in 
spite of the rain, to a tavern near by on the railroad, where 
he sat all day among a crowd of neighboring idlers who 
collected there at such times ; for although it might be wet 
enough to stop all work in the fields, it was never too wet 
to keep them away from the tavern. There these fellows 
ssat, drinking juleps, smoking pipes, or cigars that smelt 
even worse, and retailing among each other the news of 
their several neighborhoods. 

What Spangler thus picked up at the tavern was about 
all the news he ever heard. As to talking of farming, of 
their crops, or what was the best thing to raise, or hovy 
best to carry on this or that branch of their business, — 



S FARMING FOR BOVS. 

such matters were rarely spoken of. They came there to 
shake off the farm. Politics was a standing topic, — who 
was likely to be nominated on their ticket, — whether he 
would be elected, — and whether it was true that so-and- 
so was going to be sold out by the sheriff. It was much to 
Spangler's credit, that, if at this rainy-day rendezvous he 
learned nothing useful, he contracted no other bad habit 
than that of lounging away a day when he should have 
been at home attending to his business. It was much after 
the same fashion that he spent his long winter's evenings, 
— dozing in the chimney-corner, — for the tavern was too 
far away, or he would have spent them there. 

Now it somehow happens that there are quite as many 
rainy days in the country as in the city. But those who 
live in the latter never think of quit)ting work because it 
snows deep or rains hard. The merchant never closes his 
counting-houbC or -store, nor does the mechanic cease to 
labor from such a cause ; they have still something on hand, 
whether it rain or shine. Even the newsboys run about 
the streets as actively, and a hundred other kinds of work- 
ers keep on without interruption. 

If the laboring men of a large city were to quit work 
because of a hard rain, there v/ould be a loss of many thou- 
sand dollars for every such day that happened. So also 
with a farmer. There is plenty of rainy-day work on a 
farm, if the owner only knew it, or thought of it beforehand. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 9 

and set his men or boys to do it, — in the barn, or cellar. 
or wood-shed. If he had a bench and tools, a sort of work- 
shop, a rainy day would be a capital time for him to teach 
his boys how to drive a nail, or saw a board, or push a 
plane, to make a new box or mend an old one, to put a 
new handle in an axe or hoe, or to do twenty such little 
things as are always wanted on a farm. Besides saving 
the time and money lost by frequent running to the black- 
smith or wheelwright, to have such trifles attended to, 
things would be kept always ready when next wanted, and 
his boys would become good mechanics. There is so much 
of this kind of light repairing to be done on a farm, that, 
having a set of tools, and knowing how to use them, are 
almost as indispensable as having ploughs and harrows, and 
the boys cannot be too early instructed in their use. Many 
boys are natural mechanics, and even without instruction 
could accomplish great things if they only had a bench 
and tools. The making of the commonest bird-box will 
give an ambitious boy a very useful lesson. 

It seemed that Mr. Spangler was learning nothing while 
he lived. His main idea appeared to be, that farming was 
an affair of muscle only, — that it was hands, not heads, 
that farmers ought to have ; and that whoever worked hard- 
est and longest, wasted no time in reading, spent no money 
for fine cattle or better breeds of pigs, or for new seeds, 
new tools or machines, and stuck to the good old way, was 



lO FARMING FOR BOYS. 

the best fanner. He never devoted a day now and then 
to visiting the agricultural exhibitions which were held in 
all the counties round him, where he would be sure to see 
samples of the very best things that good farmers were 
producing, — fine cattle, fine pigs, fine poultry, and a hun- 
dred other products which sensible men are glad to exhibit 
at such fairs, knowing that it is the smart men who go to 
such places to learn what is going on, as well as to make 
purchases, and that it is the agricultural drones who stay 
at home. The fact was, he had been badly educated, and 
he could not shake off the habits of his early life. He had 
been taus^ht that hard work was the chief end of man. 

Of course such a farmer had a poor time of it, as well as 
the hands he employed. He happened to be pretty well out 
of debt, there being only a small mortgage on his farm ; but 
he was so poor a manager that his hard work went for little, 
in reality just enough to enable his family to live, with some- 
times very close shaving to pay interest. As to getting rich, 
it was out of the question. He had a son whose name was 
Joe, a smart, ambitious boy of sixteen years old ; another 
son. Bill, two years younger ; and an orphan named Tony 
King, exactly a year younger than Joe ; together with a 
hired man for helper about the farm. 

Mr. Spangler had found Tony in the adjoining county. 
On the death of his parents, they being miserably poor, and 
having no relations to take care of him, he had had a hard 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 11 

time among strangers. They kept him until old enough to 
be bound out to a trade. Mr. Spangler thinking he needed 
another hand, and being at the same time in such low 
rspute as a farmer and manager that those who knew him 
were not willing to let their sons live with him as appren- 
tices, he was obliged to go quite out of the neighborhood, 
where he was not so well known, in order to secure one. 
In one of his trips he brought up at the house where Tony 
was staying, and, liking his looks, — for he was even a 
brighter boy than Joe Spangler, — he had him bound to 
him as an apprentice to the art and mystery of farming. 

In engaging himself to teach this art and mystery to 
Tony, he undertook to impart a great deal more knowledge 
than he himself possessed, — a thing, by the way, which is 
very common with a good many other people. Altogether 
it was a hard bargain for poor Tony ; but when parents 
are so idle and thriftless as to expose their children to 
such a fate as his, they leave them a legacy of nothing 
better than the very hardest kind of bargains. 

In addition to this help, about a year after Tony took 
up his quarters with Mr. Spangler, there came along an old 
man of seventy, a sort of distant relation of the Spanglers, 
who thenceforward made the farm his home. Mr. Spangler 
and his wife called him " Benny," but all the younger mem- 
bers of the family, out of respect for his age, called hitn 
" Uncle," so that in a very short time he went by no other 



12 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

name than that of " Uncle Benny," and this not only on 
the farm, but all over the neighborhood. 

Uncle Benny turned out to be the pleasantest old man 
the boys and giris had ever been acquainted with. It was 
no wonder they liked him, for he was very fond of children, 
and like generally begets like. He was a very different 
sort of character from any about the farm. He had been 
well educated, and being in his younger days of a roving, 
sight-hunting disposition, he had travelled all over the 
world, had seen a multitude of strange men and strange 
things, and had such a way of telling what he had thus 
picked up as never to fail of interesting those who heard 
him. Sometimes of a long winter evening, when he was 
giving accounts of foreign countries, or how people lived 
in our great cities, or how they carried on farming in other 
parts of our country, he talked so pleasantly that no one 
thought of being sleepy. On such evenings, before he came 
to live on the farm, Mr. Spangler would often fall asleep on 
his chair in the chimney-corner, and once or twice actually 
tipped over quite into the ashes ; but now, when Uncle 
Benny got fairly under way, there was no more going to 
sleep. Mr. Spangler pricked up his ears, and listened better 
than if any one had been reading from a book. 

Then Uncle Benny had a way of always putting in* some 
good advice to both men and boys, and even to the girls. 
He had read and travelled so much that he had somethins: 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 3 

appropriate for every event that turned up. Indeed, every 
one was surprised at his knowing so much. Besides this, 
he was very lively and cheerful, and as fond of fun as 
could be, and seemed able to make any one laugh whenever 
he chose to indulge in a joke. 

In addition to all this, he was uncommonly handy with 
tools. Though an old man, and not strong enough to do 
a full day's work at mowing or haymaking, because of stiff 
joints, yet he could potter about the house and barns, with 
a hatchet, and saw, and a nail-box, and mend up a hundred 
broken places that had been neglected for years before he 
came to live there. If he saw anything out of order, a 
gate with no latch, a picket loose in the garden fence, or 
any other trifling defect about the premises, he went to 
work and made all right again. He even mended the 
broken lights in the kitchen windows, and got rid of all 
the old 'hats and bonnets that had been stuffed into them. 
He put on new buttons to keep up the sashes, and so 
banished the big sticks from the wood-pile that had been 
used to prop them up. He said they were too ugly even 
to look at. 

It was Uncle Benny who nailed up the loose door-step 
which the pig had rooted away from its place, causing 
Lucy Spangler to fall on the edge of a bucket and break 
her nose. Lucy came out to thank him for doing the 
thing so nicely ; for ever since the accident to her nose, 



14 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

she had been very skittish about putting her foot on the 
step. 

" Ah, Lucy," said Uncle Benny, " I wish I could mend 
your nose as easily." 

" Indeed I wish so too," replied Lucy. 

Inside of the house were numerous things that wanted 
looking after in the same way. There was not a bolt or 
a latch that would work as it ought to. All the closet 
locks were out of order, while one half the doors refused 
to shut. In fact there were twenty little provocations of 
this kind that were perpetual annoyances to the women. 
Uncle Benny went to work and removed them all ; there 
was no odd job that he was not able to go through with. 
Indeed, it was the luckiest day in the history of that farm 
when he came to live upon it, for it did seem that, if the farm 
were ever to be got to rights, he was the very man to do it. 
Now, it was very curious, but no one told Uncle Benny to 
do these things. But as soon as he had anchored himself 
at Mr. Spangler's he saw how much the old concern was 
out of gear, and, providing himself with tools, he undertook, 
as one of his greatest pleasures, to repair these long-standing 
damages, not because he expected to be paid for it, but 
from his own natural anxiety to have things look as they 
ought 

The boys watched the old man's operations with great 
interest, for both Joe and Tony were ambitious of knowing 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 5 

how to handle tools. One day he took hold of the coffee- 
mill, which some clumsy fellow had only half nailed up in 
the kitchen, so that, whenever the coffee was ground, who- 
ever turned the crank was sure to bruise his knuckles against 
the wall. Mrs. Spangler and her daughters of course did 
all the grinding, and complained bitterly of the way the mill 
was fixed. Besides, it had become shockingly dull, so that 
it only cracked the grains, and thus gave them a miserably 
weak decoction for breakfast. Now, Uncle Benny had 
been used to strong coffee, and could n't stand what Mrs. 
Spangler gave him. So he unshipped the mill, took it to 
pieces, with a small file sharpened up the grinders, which 
by long use had become dull, oiled its joints, and screwed 
it up in a new place, where it was impossible for the knuckles 
to be bruised. It then worked so beautifully, that, instead 
of every one hating to put his hand on the crank, the diffi- 
culty was to keep the children away from it, — they would 
grind on it an hour at a time. Such a renovation of 
damaged goods had never before been seen on Spangler 'g 
premisef? 



tfy FARMING FOR BOYS 



CHAPTER II. 

All Farming is a Job. — Stopping a great Leak. — Giving Boys a 
Chance. — A Lecture in the Barn. — Working One's Way up. 

^ I ^ONY KING was particularly struck with the improve- 
-*- ment in the coffee-mill, for his knuckles had received 
a lull share of the general skinning ; and when the job 
was done, turning to the old man, he said, " O, Uncle Ben- 
ny, won't you teach me to do such things before you do 
all the odd jobs about the farm .'' " 

" Never fear that all the odd jobs about any farm, and es- 
pecially such a one as this, are going to be done in a 
hurry," he replied, laying his hand gently on Tony's head. 
" If the owner of a farm, I don't care how small it may be, 
would only take time to go over his premises, to examine 
his fences, his gates, his barn-yard, his stables, his pig-pen, 
his fields, his ditches, his wagons, his harness, his tcols, in- 
deed, whatever he owns, he would find more odd jobs to be 
done than he has any idea of Why, niy boy, all farming 
is made up of odd jobs. When Mr. Spangler gets through 
with planting potatoes, don't he say, 'Well, that job's done.* 
Did n't I hear you say yesterday, when you had hauled out 
the last load of manure from the barn-yara, — it was pretty 
wet and muddy at the bottom, you remember, — 'There's 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 7 

c. duly job done!' And so it is, Tony, with everything 
about a farm, — it is all jobbing ; and as long as one con- 
tinues to farm, so long will there be jobs to do. The great 
point is to finish each one up exactly at the time when it 
jught to be done." 

" But that was not what I meant, Uncle Benny," said 
Tony. " I meant such jobs as you do with your tools." 

" Well," replied the old man, " it is pretty much the same 
.hing there. A farmer going out to hunt up such jobs as 
rou speak of will find directly, that, if he has no tool-chest 
^n hand, his first business will be to get one. Do you see 
.he split in that board ? Whoever drove that nail should 
have had a gimlet to bore a hole ; but having none, he has 
spoiled the looks of his whole job. So it is with everything 
when a farmer undertakes any work without proper tools. 
Spoiling it is quite as bad as letting it alone. 

*•' You see, Tony," he continued, " that a good job can't 
be done with bad tools, — that split shows it. No doubt 
the man who made it excused himself by saying that he 
was never intended for a mechanic. But that was a poor 
excuse for being without a gimlet. Every man or boy has 
some mechanical ability, and exercising that ability, with 
first-rate tools, will generally make him a good workman. 
Now as to what odd jobs a farmer will find to do. He steps 
out into the garden, and finds a post of his grape-arbor 
rotted off, and the whole trellis out of shape. It should be 



1 8 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

propped lip immediately. If he have hot-beds, ten to one 
there are two or three panes out, and if they are not put 
in at once, the next hard frost will destroy all his plants.^ 
There is a fruit-tree covered with caterpillars' nests, an- 
other with cocoons, containing what will some day be but- 
terilies, then eggs, then worms. The barn-yard gate has 
a broken hinge, the barn-door has lost its latch, the wheel- 
barrow wants a nail or two to keep the tire from dropping 
off, and there is the best hoe with a broken handle. So 
it goes, let him look where he may. 

" Now come out into the yard," continued the old man, 
"and let us see what jobs there are yet to do." 

He led the way to the wood-shed. There was an axe 
with only half a handle ; Tony knew it well, for he had 
chopped many a stick with the crippled tool. Uncle Benny 
pointed to it with the screw-driver that he still carried in 
his hand, but said nothing, as he observed that Tony 
seemed confounded at being so immediately brought face 
to face with what he knew should have been done six 
months before. Turning round, but not moving a step, 
he again pointed with his screw-driver to the wooden gut- 
ter which once caught the rain-water from the shed-roof 
and discharged it into a hogshead near by. The brackets 
fiom one end of the gutter had rotted off, and it hung 
down on the pig-pen fence, discharging into the pen in- 
stead of into the hogshead. The latter had lost its lower 



FARMING FOR BOYS. I9 

hoops ; they were rusting on the ground, fairly grown over 
with grass. The old man pointed at each in turn ; and, 
looking into Tony's face, found that he had crammed his 
hands into his pockets, and was beginning to smile, but 
said nothing. Just turning about, he again pointed to 
where a board had fallen from the farther end of the 
shed, leaving an opening into the pig-pen beyond. While 
both were looking at the open place, three well-grown pigs, 
hearing somebody in the shed, rose upon their hinder feet, 
and thrust their muddy faces into view, thinking that some- 
thing good was coming. The old man continued silent, 
looked at the pigs, and then at Tony. Tony was evident- 
ly confused, and worked his hands about in his pockets, 
but never looked into the old man's face. It was almost 
too much for him. 

" Come," said Uncle Benny, " let us try another place," 
and as they were moving off, Tony stumbled over a new 
iron-bound maul, which lay on the ground, the handle hav- 
ing been broken short off in its socket. 

" How the jobs turn up ! " observed Uncle Benny. " How 
many have we here.'*" 

" I should say about five," replied Tony. 

"Yes," added the old man, "and all within sight of each 
other." 

As they approached the hog-pen, they encountered a 
strong smell, and there was a prodigious running and tum- 



20 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

bling among the animals. They looked over the shabby 
fence that formed the pen. 

"Any jobs here, Tony.?" inquired Uncle Benny. 

Tony made no answer, but looked round to see if the 
old man kept his screw-driver, half-hoping that, if he found 
anything to point at, he would have nothing to point with. 
But raising the tool, he poised it in the direction of the 
feeding-trough. Tony could not avert his eyes, but, direct- 
ing them toward the spot at which the old man pointed, 
he discovered a hole in the bottom of the trough, through 
which nearly half of every feeding must have leaked out 
into the ground underneath. He had never noticed it 
until now. 

"There's another job for you, Tony," he said. "There's 
not only neglect, but waste. The more hogs a man keeps 
in this way, the more money he will lose. Look at the 
condition of this pen, — all mud, not a dry spot for the 
pigs to fly to. Even the sheds under which they are to 
.sleep are three inches deep in slush. Don't you see that 
broken gutter from the wood-shed delivers the rain right 
into their sleeping-place, and you know what rains we have 
had lately ? Ah, Tony," continued the old man, " pigs 
can't thrive that are kept in this condition. They want 
a dry place ; they must have it, or they will get sick, and 
a sick pig is about the poorest stock a farmer can have. 
Water or mud is well enough for them to wallow in occa- 
.sionally, but not mud all the time." 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 21 

"But I thought pigs did best when they had plenty of 
dirt about them, they Hke it so," rephed Tony. 

"You are mistaken, Tony," rejoined Uncle Benny. "A 
pig is by nature a cleanly animal ; it is only the way in 
which some people keep him that makes him a filthy one. 
Give him the means to keep himself clean, and he will be 
clean always, — a dry shed with dry litter to sleep in, and 
a pen where he can keep out of the mud when he wants 
to, and he will never be dirty, while what he eats will stick 
to his ribs. These pigs can't grow in this condition. Then 
look at the waste of manure ! Why, there are those thirty 
odd loads of cornstalks, and a great pile of sweet-potato 
vines, that Mr. Spangler has in the field, all which he 
says he is going to burn out of his way, as soon as they 
get dry enough. They should be brought here and put 
in this mud and water, to absorb the liquid manure that 
is now soaking into the ground, or evaporating before the 
sun. This liquor is the best part of the manure, its heart 
and life ; for nothing can be called food for plants until it 
is brought into a liquid condition. I never saw greater 
waste than this. Then there is that deep bed of muck, 
not three hundred yards off, — not a load of it ready to 
come here. Besides, if the cornstalks and potato-vines 
were tumbled in, they would make the whole pen dry, 
keep the hogs clean, and enable them to grow. But I sup- 
pose Mr. Spangler thinks it too much trouble to do these 
little things. 



22 VARMING FOR BOYS. 

" Now, Tony," he continued, " you can't do anything prof- 
itable or useful in this world without some trouble ; and 
ds you are to be a farmer, the sooner you learn this lesson, 
the more easily you will get along. But who is to do that 
job of putting a stopper over this hole in the trough, you 
or I ? " 

" I '11 do it to-morrow, Uncle Benny," replied Tony. 

" To-morrow ? To-morrow won't do for me. A job that 
needs doing as badly as this, should be done at once ; it 's 
one thing less to think of, don't you know that .'' Besides, 
didn't you want to do some jobs.'*" rejoined Uncle Benny. 

Tony had never been accustomed to this way of hurry- 
ing up things ; but he felt himself fairly cornered. He 
did n't care much about the dirt in the trough ; it was 
the unusual promptness of the demand that staggered him. 

" Run to the house and ask Mrs. Spangler to give you 
an old tin cup or kettle, — anything to make a patch big 
enough to cover this hole," said Uncle Benny ; " and bring 
that hammer and a dozen lath-nails you '11 find in my 
tool-chest." 

Tony did as he was directed, and brought back a quart 
mug with a small hole in the bottom, which a single drop 
of solder would have made tight as ever. 

" I guess the swill is worth more to the hogs than even 
a new mug would be, Tony," said Uncle Benny, holding 
up the mug to the sun, to see how small a defect had con- 



FARMING FOR ROYS. 23 

demned it. Then, knocking out the bottom, and straight- 
ening- it with his hammer on the post, he told Tony to 
step over the fence into the trough. It was not a very 
nice place to get into, but over he went ; and, the nails and 
hammer being handed to him, he covered the hole with 
the tin, put in the nails round the edge, hammered the 
edge flat, and in ten minutes all was done. 

" There, Tony, is a six months' leak stopped in ten min- 
utes. Nothing like the present time, — will you remember 
hat ? Never put off till to-morrow what can be done to- 
I'lay. Now run back with the hammer and these two nails, 
and put this remnant of the tin cup in my chest ; you '11 
want it for something one of these days. Always save 
the pieces, Tony." 

Tony was really surprised, not only how easily, but how 
quickly, the repair had been made. Moreover, he felt grat- 
ifietl at being the mechanic ; it was the first time he had 
been allowed to handle any of Uncle Benny's nice assort- 
ment of tools, and he liked the old man better than ever. 
But who is there that does not himself feel inwardly grat- 
ified at conferring a new pleasure on a child "^ Such little 
contributions to juvenile happiness are neither barren of 
fruit nor unproductive of grateful returns. They cost noth* 
ing, yet they have rich rewards in the memory of the young. 
They make beautiful and lasting impressions. The gentle 
heart that makes a child happy will never be forgotten. 



24 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

No matter how small the gift may be, a kind word, a littk 
toy, even a flower, will sometimes touch a chord within 
the heart, whose soft vibrations will continue so long as. 
memory lasts. 

This survey of Mr. Spangler's premises was continued 
by Uncle Benny and Tony until the latter began to change 
his opinion about the former doing up the odd jobs so 
thoroughly that none would be left for him. He saw 
there was enough for both of them. The old man pointed 
out a great many that he had never even noticed ; but when 
his attention was called to them, he saw the necessity of 
having them done. Indeed, he had a notion that every- 
thing about the place wanted fixing up. Besides, Uncle 
Benny took pains to explain the reasons why such and 
such things were required, answering the boy's numerous 
questions, and imparting to him a knowledge of farm 
wants and farm processes, of which no one had ever 
spoken to him. 

The fact was, Uncle Benny was one of the few men we 
meet with, especially on a farm, who think the boys ought to 
have a chance. His opinion was, that farmers seldom edu- 
cate their children properly for the duties they know they 
will some day be called on to perform, — that is, they don't 
reason with them, and explain to the boy's imderstanding 
the merit or necessity of an operation. His idea was, that 
too many boys on a farm were merely allowed to grow 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 25 

up. They were fed, clothed, sent to school, then put to 
work, but not properly taught how and why the work 
should be done. Hence, when they came to set up for 
themselves, they had a multitude of things to learn which 
they ought to have learned from a father. 

He used to say, that boys do only what they see the 
men do, — that all they learned was by imitation. They 
had no opportunity allowed them while at home of testing 
their own resources and energies by some little indepen- 
dent farming operation of their own. When at school, the 
teacher drills them thoroughly; when at home, they re- 
ceive no such close training. The teacher gives the boy 
a sum to do, and lets him work it out of his own resources. 
But a farmer rarely gives a boy the use of a half-acre of 
land, on which he may raise corn or cabbages or roots 
for himself, though knowing that the boy could plant and 
cultivate it if he were allowed a chance, and that such a 
privilege would be likely to develop his energies, and show 
of what stuff he was made. The notion was too common 
that a boy was all work, and had no ambition, — whatever 
work was in him must be got out of him, just as if he 
had been a horse or an ox. It was known that at some 
time he must take care of himself, yet he was not proper- 
ly taught how to do so. The stimulant of letting him 
have a small piece of ground for his own profit was too 
rarely held out to him. No one knew what such a privi- 



26 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

lege might do for an energetic boy. If he failed the first 
year, he would be likely to know the cause of failure, and 
avoid it in the future. If he succeeded, he would feel an 
honest pride, — the very kind of pride which every father 
should encourage in his child ; and that success would 
stimulate him to try again and do still better. Both fail- 
ure and success would be very likely to set him to reading 
about what others had done in the same line, — how they 
had prospered, — and thus a fund of knowledge would be 
acquired for him to draw upon whenever he set up for 
himself 

As before mentioned, Mr. Spangler made a strange de- 
parture from his rule of plenty of work for everybody, 
by quitting home on a wet day and going to the tavern 
rendezvous, to hear what the neighbors had to say, leaving 
no work marked out for his " hands " to do in his absence. 
These wet days were therefore holidays for the boys. All 
three were pretty good readers ; and so they usually bor- 
rowed a book from Uncle Benny, and went, on such occa- 
sions, into the barn, and lay down on the hay to read. 
Uncle Benny recommended to them that one should read 
aloud to the others, so as to improve his voice, and enable 
each to set the other right, if a mistake were made. When 
the weather became too cold for these readings in the 
barn, they went into the kitchen, there being no other 
room in the house in which a fire was kept up. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 2*J 

One November morning there came on a heavy rain 
that lasted all day, with an east wind so cold as to make 
the barn a very uncomfortable reading-room, so the boys 
adjourned to the kitchen, and huddled around the stove. 
But as the rain drove all the rest of the family into the 
house, there was so great an assembly in what was, at 
the best of times, a very small room, that Mrs. Spangler 
became quite irritable at having so many in her way. 
She was that day trying out lard, and wanted the stove 
all to herself. In her ill-humor at being so crowded up, 
she managed to let the lard burn ; and at this she became 
so vexed that she told Tony, with Joe and Bill, to go 
out, — she could n't have them in her way any longer. 

They accordingly went back to the barn, and lay down 
in the hay, covering themselves with a couple of horse- 
blankets. These were not very nice things for one to 
have so close to his nose, as they smelt prodigiously 
strong of the horses ; but farmers' boys are used to such 
perfumes, and they kept the little fellows so warm that 
they were quite glad to escape the crowd and discomfort 
of the kitchen. These became at last so great, that even 
Uncle Benny, seeing that he was not wanted there just 
then, got up and went over to the barn also. There he 
found Tony reading aloud from a newspaper that had 
been left at the house by a pedler a few days before. 
Tony was reading about the election, and how much one 
set of oui people were rejoicing over the result. 



28 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

As Uncle Benny came into the barn Tony called out, 
" Uncle Benny, the President 's elected, — did you know 
it?" 

" O yes, I knew it ; but what President do you mean ? " 
responded Uncle Benny. 

"Why, President Lincoln. He was a poor boy like me, 
you know." 

" "Rut can you tell me, boys," asked Uncle Benny, " who 
will be President in the year 1900.''" 

" Dear me, Uncle Benny," replied Tony, " how should we 
know ^ " 

"Well, I can tell," responded the old man. 

The boys were a good deal surprised at hearing these 
words, and at once sat up in the hay. 

" Who is he ? " demanded Tony. 

" Well," replied Uncle Benny, " he is a boy of about 
your age, say fifteen or sixteen years old." 

" Does he live about here ? " inquired Bill, the youngest 
of the party. 

" Well, I can't say as to that," answered the old man, 
"but he lives somewhere on a farm. He is a steady, 
thoughtful boy, fond of reading, and has no bad habits ; 
he never swears, or tells a lie, or disobeys his parents." 

" Do you think he is as poor as we are. Uncle Ben- 
ny } " said Tony. 

" Most likely he is," responded the old man. " His 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 29 

parents must be in moderate circum.stances. But poverty 
is no disgrace, Tony. On the contrary, there is much 
in poverty to be thankful for, as there is nothing that so 
certainly proves what stuff a boy is made of, as being 
born poor, and from that point working his way up to a 
position in society, as well as to wealth." 

" But do poor boys ever work their way up ? " inquired 
Tony. 

" Ay, many times indeed," said Uncle Benny. " But a 
lazy, idle boy can do no such thing, — he only makes a 
lazy man. Boys that grow up in idleness become vaga- 
bonds. It is from these that all our thieves and paupers 
come. Men who are successful have always been indus- 
trious. Many of the great men in all countries were 
born poorer than either of you, for they had neither 
money nor friends. President Lincoln, when he was of 
your age, was hardly able to read, and had no such 
chance for schooling as you have had. President Van 
Buren was so poor, when a boy, that he was obliged to 
study his books by the light of pine knots which he gath- 
ered in the woods. President Lincoln for a long time 
split rails at twenty-five cents a hundred. But see how 
they got up in the world." 

" But I thought the Presidents were all lawyers," said 
Tony. 

'* Well, suppose they were," replied Uncle Benny ; " they 



30 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 



were boys first. I tell you that every poor boy in this 
country has a great prospect before him, if he will only 
improve it as these men improved theirs. Everything 
depends on himself, on his own industry, sobriety, and 
honesty. They can't all be Presidents, but if they should 
all happen to try for being one, they will be very likely 
to reach a high mark. Most of the rich men of our 
-ountry began without a dollar. You have as fair a 
chance of becoming rich or distinguished as many of 
them have had. You must always aim high." 

"But how are we to make a beginning.?" demanded 
Joe. 

" I '11 tell you," replied Uncle Benny. But at that 
moment a loud blast from the tin horn summoned them 
to dinner. They all thought it the sweetest music they 
had heard that day, and hurried off to the house. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 31 



CHAPTER III. 

A. Poor Dinner. — What Surface Drainage means. — The Value of 
Drainage, — A wet Barn-yard. — What constitutes Manure. — 
Help yourself. — The Young Pedler. 

AS might be expected, the party thus invited to dinner 
had anything but a hospitable time of it. In a gen- 
eral way, the boys received pretty fair treatment from Mrs. 
Spangler ; but on that particular occasion they saw that 
they were called in merely to be fed, and, the feeding over, 
that it would be most agreeable to her if they would there- 
upon clear out. Things had gone wrong with her on that 
unfortunate day, and they must bear the brunt of it. The 
good man of the house was absent at the neighboring tavern, 
it being one of his rainy days ; hence the wife had all the 
remaining household at her mercy, and, being mostly an 
uncomplaining set, she could serve them with impunity 
just as the humor of the moment made it most convenient. 
The dinner was therefore nothing to speak of, and was 
quite unworthy of the great noise which the tin horn had 
made in calling them to it. There was a bit of boiled 
salt pork, almost too fat to eat, with potatoes and turnips, 
while the dessert consisted of pumpkin-sauce, which the 
dinner party might spread upon bread, if they thought 
proper. 



32 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

Uncle Benny devoured his share of this rainy-day repast 
in silence, but inwardly concluded that it was next of kin 
to the meanest dinner he had ever eaten, for he was too 
well-bred to take open exception to it. As boys, especially 
farmers' boys, are not epicures, and are generally born with 
appetites so hearty that nothing comes amiss, Joe and 
Tony managed to find enough, and were by no means crit- 
ical, — quality was not so important a matter as quantity. 
It is true there was a sort of subdued mutiny against the 
unseasoned pumpkin-sauce, which was a new article on 
Farmer Spangler's table, that showed itself in a general 
hesitancy even to taste it, and in a good long smell or 
two before a mouthful was ventured on ; which being ob- 
served by Mrs. Spangler, she did unbend sufficiently to say 
that she had intended to give them pumpkin-pies, but an 
accident to her lard had interrupted her plans, so she gave 
them the best she had, and promised the pies for next day. 

As Uncle Benny and the boys all knew that they had 
been called in merely to eat, and not to lounge about the 
stove, and were therefore expected to depart as soon as 
they had dined, when the scanty meal was over, they stepped 
out on the way to their wonted rendezvous, the barn. The 
rain had ceased, and there were signs of a clearing up. 
But the wide space between house and barn was wet and 
muddy, while in several places there were great puddles of 
water, around which they had to pick their way. These 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 33' 

!ow places had always been an annoyance to Uncle Benny, 
as every rain converted them into ponds, which stood some- 
times for weeks before drying up. They were so directly 
in the path to almost everything, that one had to navigate 
a long way round to avoid them ; yet, though an admitted 
nuisance, no one undertook to fill them up. 

When the party got fairly in among these puddles, the 
old man stopped, and told the boys he would teach them 
something worth knowing. Bidding Joe bring him a spade 
and hoe, he led the boys to a small puddle which lay lower 
on the sloping ground than any other, and in a few minutes 
opened a trench or gutter leading from it toward an adjoin- 
ing lowland. The water immediately flowed away from the 
puddle through the gutter, until it fell to the level of the 
latter. He then deepened the gutter, and more water was 
discharged, and repeated the operation until the puddle was 
quite empty. 

He then directed Joe to open a gutter between the puddle 
thus emptied and a larger one close by, then to connect a 
third with the second, until, by means of hoe and spade, he 
had the whole series of puddles communicating with each 
other, those on the higher ground of course discharging 
their contents into that first emptied, as it lay lower than 
the others. When the work was completed, there was a 
lively rush of water down, through the gutter first cut, 
into the meadow. 
3 



34 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

" Now, boys," said Uncle Benny, " this is what is called 
drainage, — surface drainage, — the making of water move 
off from a spot where it is a nuisance, thus converting a 
wet place into a dry one. You see how useful it is on this 
little piece of ground, because in a few days the bottom of 
these ponds will become so dry that you can walk over them, 
instead of having to go round them ; and if Mr. Spangler 
would only have them filled up, and make the whole surface 
level, the water would run oft' of itself, and all these gutters 
could be filled up, leaving the yard dry and firm. These 
gutters are called open or surface drains, because they are 
open at the top ; but when you make a channel deep enough 
to put in a wooden trunk, or brush, or stones, or a line of 
tiles, for the water to flow through, and then cover up the 
whole so that one can walk or drive over it, it is called 
an under-drain, because it is under the surface of the 
ground." 

*' But does draining do any good ^ " inquired Joe. 

"Why," replied Uncle Benny, "it is impossible to farm 
profitably without drainage of some kind ; and the more 
thoroughly the land is drained of its superfluous water, 
the surer and better will be the crops. I suppose that not 
one of you likes to have wet feet. Well, it is the same 
thing with the roots and grains and grasses that farmers 
cultivate, — they don 't like wet feet. You know the corn 
didn't grow at all in that low place in our cornfield this 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 35 

season ; that was because the water stood there from one 
rain to another, — the corn had too much of it. You also 
saw how few and small were the potatoes in that part of 
the patch that runs rlose down to the swamp. Water is 
indispensable to the growth of plants, but none will bear an 
excessive supply, except those that grow in swamps and 
low places only. Many of these even can be killed by 
keeping the swamp flooded for a few weeks ; though they 
can bear a great deal, yet it is possible to give even them 
too much. Our farms, even on the uplands, abound in 
low places, which catch and hold too much of the heavy 
rains for the health of the plants we cultivate. The 
surplus must be got rid of, and there is no other way 
to do that than by ditching and draining. Under-drain- 
ing is always best. Let a plant have as much water 
as it needs, and it will grow to profit ; but give it too 
much, and it will grow up weak and spindling. You 
saw that in our cornfield. There are some plants, as I 
said before, that grow only in wet places ; but you must 
know that such are seldom useful to us as food either 
for man or beast. Nobody goes harvesting after spatter- 
docks or cat-tail. This farm is full of low, wet places, 
which could be drained for a very little money, and the 
profits from one or two crops from the reclaimed land 
would pay back the whole expenses. Indeed, there is 
hardly one farm in a thousand that would not be greatly 



36 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

benefited by being thoroughly underdrained. But as 
the^e puddles are nearly empty, come over to the barn- 
yard, — they will be dry enough to-morrow." 

Uncle Benny led the way into a great enclosure that 
was quite full of manure. It lay on a piece of sloping 
ground adjoining the public road, in full view of every 
person who might happen to drive by. It was not an 
agreeable sight to look at, even on a bright summer day ; 
and just now, when a heavy rain had fallen, it was 
particularly unpleasant. In addition to the rain, it had 
received a copious supply of water from the roofs of all 
the barns . and sheds that surrounded it. Not one of 
them was furnished with a gutter to catch and carry 
off the water to some place outside the barn-yard, but 
all that fell upon them ran off into the manure. Of 
course the whole mass was saturated with water. Indeed, 
it was not much better than a great pond, a sort of 
floating bog, yet not great enough to retain the volume 
of water thus conducted into it from the overhanging 
roofs. There was not a dry spot for the cows to stand 
upon, and the place had been in this disagreeable con- 
dition so long, that both boys and men went into it as 
seldom as possible. If the cows and pigs had had the 
same liberty of choice, it is probable they too would have 
given it as wide a berth. 

The old man took them to a spot just outside the 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 37 

fence, where a deep gutter leading from the barn-yard 
into the public road was pouring forth into the latter 
a large stream of black liquor. As he jDointed down 
the road, the boys could not see the termination of 
this black fluid, it reached so far from where they stood. 
It had been thus flowing, night and day, as long as the 
water collected in the barn-yard. The boys had never 
noticed any but the disagreeable part of the thing, as 
no one had taken pains to point out to them its economic 
or wasteful features. 

" Now, boys," said Uncle Benny, " there are two kinds 
of drainage. The first kind, which I have just explained 
to you, will go far toward making a farmer rich ; but this 
kind, which drains a barn-yard into the public road, will 
send him to the poor-house. Here is manure wasted as 
fast as it is made, — thrown away to get rid of it, — and 
no land is worth farming without plenty of manure." 

" But the manure stays in the barn-yard," replied Tony. 
" It is only the water that runs ofl"." 

" Did you ever suck an orange after somebody had 
squeezed out all the juice ? " asked Uncle Benny. " If 
you did, you must have discovered that he had extracted 
all that there was in it of any value, — you had a dry 
pull, Tony. It is exactly so with this barn-yard. Liken 
it to an orange, though I must admit there is a wide 
difference in the flavor of the two. Here Mr. Spangler 



38 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

is extracting the juice, throwing it away, and keeping the 
dry shell and insides for himself. Farmers make manure 
for the purpose of feeding their plants, — that is, to make 
them grow. Now, plants don't feed on those piles of straw 
and cornstalks, that you say remain in the yard, but on 
the liquor that you see running away from them. That 
Hquor is manure, — it is the very life of the manure heap, 
— the only shape that the heap can take to make a plant 
grow. It must ferment and decay, and turn to powder, 
before it can give out its full strength, and will not do so 
even then, unless water comes down upon it to extract 
just such juices as you now see running to waste. The 
rain carries those juices all through the ground where 
the plant is growing, and its thousands of little rootlets 
suck up, not the powdered manure, but the liquor satu- 
rated with its juices, just as you would suck an orange. 
They are not able to drink up solid lumps of manure, but 
only the fluid extracts. Boys, such waste as this will be 
death to any farm, and your father must make an entire 
change in this barn-yard. Don't you see how it slopes 
toward the road, no doubt on purpose to let this liquid 
manure run off? He must remove it to a piece of level 
ground, and make the centre of it lower than the sides, 
so as to save every drop. If he could line the bottom 
with clay, to prevent loss by soaking into the ground, so 
much the better. If he can't change it, then he should 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 39 

raise a bank here where we stand, and keep the Hquor in. 
Then every roof must have a gutter to catch the rain, 
and a conductor to carry it clear of the yard. The 
manure would be worth twice as much if he would pile 
it up under some kind of cover. Then, too, the yard 
has been scraped into deep holes, which keep it constant- 
ly so wet and miry that no one likes to go into it, and 
these must be filled up." 

" Rut would n't that be a great deal of work ? " inquired 
Tony. 

"Now, Tony," replied the old man, "don't expect to 
get along in this world without work. If you work to 
advantage, as you would in doing such a job as this, the 
more you do the better. You have set up to be a farmer, 
and you should try to be a good one, as I consider a poor 
farmer no better than a walking scarecrow. No man 
can be a good one without having things just as I tell 
you all these about this barn-yard ought to be. What- 
ever you do, do well. I know it requires more work, but 
it is the kind of work that pays a profit, and profit is 
what most men are aiming at. If this were my farm, 
I would make things look very different, no matter how 
much work it cost me. I can always judge of a man's 
crops by his barn-yard." 

" Then I 'm afraid this is a poor place to learn farm- 
ing," said Joe. " Father don't know near as much about 



40 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

doing things right as you do, and he never talks to us, 
and shows us about the farm Hke you." 

" He may know as much as I do, Joe," replied Uncle 
Benny, "but if he does, he don't put' it. into practice; — 
that is the difference between us." 

" I begin to think it 's a poor place for me, too," added 
Tony. " I have no friends to teach me, or to help 
me. 

" To help you ? " exclaimed the old man, with an em- 
phasis that was quite unusual to him; "you must help 
yoiii'self. You have the same set of faculties as those 
that have made great men out of boys as humbly born 
as you, and you will rise or sink in proportion to the 
energy you exert. We can all succeed if we choose, — 
there is no fence against fortune." 

"What does that mean.?" demanded Tony. 

"It means that fortune is as an open common, with no 
hedge, or fence, or obstruction to get over in our efforts 
to reach it, except such as may be set up by our own 
idleness, or laziness, or want of courage in striving to 
overcome the disadvantages of our particular position." 

While this conversation was going on, the boys had 
noticed some traveller winding his slow and muddy way 
up the road toward where they were standing. As he 
came nearer, they discovered him to be a small boy, 
not much larger than either Joe or Tony ; and just as 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 



41 




v»'-.',yT*li>J_2 



Uncle Benny had finished his ekicidation of the fence 
against fortune, the traveller reached the spot where the 
group were conversing, and with instinctive good sense 
stepped up out of the mud upon the pile of rails which 
had served as standing-ground for the others. He was 
a short, thick-set fellow, warmly clad, of quick movement, 
keen, intelligent look, and a piercing black eye, having 



42 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

in it all the business fire of a juvenile Shylock. Bidding 
good afternoon to the group, and scraping from his 
thick boots a 3 much of the mud as he could, he pro- 
ceeded to buoiness without further loss of time. Lifting 
the cover from a basket on his arm, he displayed its 
flashing contents before the eyes of Joe and Tony, ask- 
ing them, if they did n't want a knife, a comb, a tooth- 
brush, a burning-glass, a cake of pomatum, or something 
else of an almost endless list of articles, which he ran 
over wich a volubility exceeding anything they had ever 
experienced. 

The little fellow was a pedler. He plied his vocation 
with a f^libness and pertinacity that confounded the two 
modest farmer's boys he was addressing. Long intercourse 
with th'; great public had given him a perfect self-pos- 
session, from which the boys fairly shrunk back with 
girlish timidity. There was nothing impudent or obtrusive 
in h'.s manner, but a quiet, persevering self-reliance that 
could not fail to command attention from any audience, 
and which, to the rustics he was addressing, was par- 
ticularly imposing. To Uncle Benny the scene was quite 
a study. He looked and listened in silence. He was 
struck with the cool, independent manner of the young 
pedler, his excessive volubility, and the tact with which 
he held up to Joe and Tony the particular articles most 
likely to attract their attention. He seemed to know 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 43 

intuitively what each boy coveted the most. Tony's great 
longing had been for a pocket-knife, and Joe's for a 
jack-knife. The boy very soon discovered this, and, hav- 
ing both in his basket, crowded the articles on his cus- 
tomers with an urgency that* nothing but the low con- 
dition of their funds could resist. After declining a 
dozen times to purchase, Tony was forced to exclaim, 
" But we have no money. I never had a shilling in my 
life." 

The pedler-boy seemed struck with conviction of the 
truth of Tony's declaration, and that he was only wasting 
time in endeavoring to sell where there was no money 
to pay with. He accordingly replaced the articles in his 
basket, shut down the lid, and with unaltered civility 
was bidding the company good by, when Uncle Benny 
broke silence for the first time. 

"What is your name, my lad .^ " he inquired. 

"John Hancock, sir," was the reply. 

"I have heard that name before," rejoined Uncle Benny. 
" You were not at the signing of the Declaration of 
Independence ? " 

" No, sir," replied the courageous little fellow, " I wish 
I had been, — but my name was there." 

This was succeeded by quite a colloquy between them, 
ending with Uncle Benny's purchasing, at a dollar apiece, 
the coveted knives, and presenting them to the delighted 



44 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

boys. Then, again addressing the pedler, he inquired, 

"Why do you follow this business of peddling.'*" 

" Because I make money by it," he quickly replied. 

" But have you no friends to help you, and give you 
employment at home .'* " continued the old man. 

" Got no friends, sir," he responded. " Father and 
mother both dead, and I had to help myself; so I 
turned newsboy in the city, and then made money enough 
to set \\p in peddling, and now I am making more." 

Uncle Benny was convinced that he was talking with 
a future millionnaire. But while admiring the boy's brav- 
ery, his heart overflowed with pity for his loneliness and 
destitution, and with a yearning anxiety for his welfare. 
Laying his hand on his shoulder, he said : " God bless 
you and preserve you, my boy ! Be industrious as you 
have been, be sober, honest, and truthful. Fear God 
above all things, keep his commandments, and, though 
you have no earthly parent, he will be to you a heavenly 
one." 

The friendless little fellow looked up into the old man's 
benevolent face with an expression of surprise and sad- 
ness, — surprise at the winning kindness of his manner, 
as if he had seldom met with it from others, and sad- 
ness, as if the soft voices of parental love had been recalled 
to his yet living memory. Then, thanking him with great 
warmth, he bade the company good by, and, with his 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 45 

basket under his arm, continued his tiresome journey over 
the muddy highway to the next farm-house. 

" There ! " said the old man, addressing Tony, " did you 
hear what he said .'' * Father and mother both dead, and 
I had to help myself! ' Why, it is yourself over again. 
Take a lesson from the story of that boy, Tony ! " 



46 FARMING FOR BOYS. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Idlers in the Barn. — Uncle Benny's Notions. — How to make a 
Beginning. — Leaving the Farm. — Boys and Girls. — Don't quit 
THE Farm. 

T) Y this time the party found themselves so well chilled 
"^^ as to make an indoor lodgement of some kind desir- 
able. The kitchen being prohibited ground, for that day 
at least, Uncle Benny pioneered the way to the barn, 
where the boys were glad enough to wrap themselves in 
horse-blankets, and, burying their legs deep in the hay, 
they were presently more comfortable than when sitting 
in everybody's way around Mrs. Spangler's smudgy stove. 
Uncle Benny, covering himself with a huge buffalo-robe, 
sat down upon a low meal-chest, and, leaning back against 
the front of the manger, crossed his legs as comforta- 
bly as if sitting by the fireplace. Very soon the hired 
man came in. He had been left for the day unprovided 
with work, simply because it rained ; that being sufficient 
to take his employer off to the village, to sit until the 
weather cleared up, listening to the unprofitable conver- 
sation of a country tavern. But his wages went on just 
as if he had been at work. 

It was therefore a strange company of idlers thus 




assernbled in the barn, not one having anything to do. 
The hired man might have easily found enough to em- 
ploy him in the barn, or' shed, or at the wood-pile, while 
it rained, and when it ceased for the afternoon he could 
have busied himself out of doors, had he been disposed 
to seek for tasks that his employer had neglected to 
provide. But he was one of that sort of helpers who 
do nothing not distinctly set before them, — a sort, by 



48 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

the way, that no good farmer will ever employ. This 
man, seeing a gate open which he knew ought to be shut, 
would never think cf closing it unless some one told him to 
do so. Unless he stumbled over a hoe or any other tool 
which some one had left in the path, he would be the last 
to stop and pick it up, and carry it where he knew it be- 
longed. He required, in fact, as much looking after as any 
of the boys. Uncle Benny used to say of this man, that 
he was the most unprofitable kind of hand to have on a 
farm. 

One of the old man's principles was, never to have a 
hand about him who required telling more than once to do 
anything. Another was, that, as he provided a place for 
everything, so when an axe, a hoe, a spade, or any other 
tool had been used, it must be put immediately back in its 
place, that when next wanted it might be found, and that 
any hand who refused to obey this law was not worth em- 
ploying. These excellent ideas he took great pains to im- 
press on the minds of the boys, teaching them the value 
of order, method, and regularity. He did once or twice 
undertake to lay down the law to Mr. Spangler also ; 
but the latter showed so much indifference, even going 
so far as to say that he always found it too much trouble 
to put things in their places, unless it was a horse, that 
he gave him up as incorrigible. 

The boys were often surprised, as well as amused, at 



FARMING FOR B0\ S. 49 

the nice precision with which Uncle Benny Hved up to 
his favorite law of a place for everything, and every- 
thing in its place. He would often send them up into 
his chamber to get something out of his tool-chest. 
Though it was full of tools and other matters, yet he 
seemed to have a perfect chart of the whole contents 
imprinted on his memory. He could tell them the exact 
spot that every tool occupied, which drawer held the 
screws, which the four-penny or six-penny nails, which 
held the carpet-tacks, and so on to the very bottom 
He often said that he could go to it in the dark and 
lay his hand on anything he wanted. The boys always 
found things exactly where he said they were. Their 
experience with this tool-chest was so novel, that it made 
a great impression on them, and they insensibly fell into 
the old man's orderly habits about keeping things in their 
proper places. 

If Uncle Benny had felt that he had any authority 
over the hired man, he would have soon put him to 
work ; for he had a habit of never letting anybody 
stand idling about him when there was anything to do. 
The man's example, moreover, was hurtful to the boys. 
Between him and Mr. Spangler the boys would have been 
in a fair way to grow up complete slovens ; for boys, 
in a general way, are literal imitators '^f ^he good or 
evil that may be set before them. 
4 



50 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

Uncle Benny had a hard contest to counteract the 
effect of these daily patterns of bad management. But 
his manner was so kind and sociable, he cultivated their 
boyish affections so assiduously, he entered so fully into 
all their thoughts, and sympathies, and aspirations, and he 
was so ready to answer their numerous questions, as well 
as to lend them his tools whenever they asked him, that 
in the end they looked up to him as by all odds the 
best man on the place. The last good turn, of buying 
for them the very kind of knife that they had so long 
coveted, fixed him immovably in their affections. It was 
a small matter for him, but a very great one for them. 

It is thus that the education of a child begins. The 
school-room, and the teacher who may be there enthroned, 
are very far from being the only means. It goes on 
without reference to the alphabet, and even in advance 
of it. It begins, as some one has beautifully said, "with 
a mother's look, — with a father's smile of approbation, 
or sign of reproof, — with a sister's gentle pressure of 
the hand, or a brother's noble act of forbearance, — with 
handfuls of flowers in green and daisied meadow, — with 
birds'-nests admired, but not touched, — with creeping ants, 
and almost imperceptible emmets, — with humming bees, 
— with pleasant walks and shady lands, — and with 
thoughts directed in sweet and kindly tones and words, 
to incite to acts of benevolence, to deeds of virtue, and 
to the source of all virtue, to God himself" 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 5 I 

The very tones of Uncle Benny's voice, his lessons of 
instruction upon every-day topics, his little kincUy gifts, 
his confidences, his commendations, and sometimes his 
reproofs, were all important agencies in the education 
of these neglected boys. He lent them books and papers 
to read, taught them lessons of morality, and was con- 
stantly directing them to look upward, to aspire, not on- 
ly as men, but as immortal beings.. The school-room 
would have been highly advantageous to them ; but, 
seeing that they were allowed only a winter's attendance 
there, they had an able mentor in the good old man 
whose lot had been cast among them. 

These four had not been long in their comfortable quar- 
ters in the barn, when Tony broke silence by saying : 
" Uncle Benny, you said that you would tell us how a 
poor boy should make a beginning. Will you tell us 
now } " 

" Ah, Tony," replied the old man, " there are fifty ways in 
which to make a beginning. But the first steps in any be- 
ginning that will go on prosperously and end happily are 
these. Fear God, honor your parents, be strictly honest, 
never violate your word, nor do any act which, if it after- 
wards become known, will cause you to feel ashamed. You 
saw that pedler-boy. He must have made a beginning with 
but little more than a shilling, perhaps not so much. But 
he must have had pluck as well as the shilling, for the shilling 



52 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

would have clone but little for him without the pluck to set 
it going. No matter how small, it was a beginning ; and 
if a boy never begins, he will never come to anything useful. 
He turned his shilling into dollars, his dollars into mer- 
chandise, such as you saw in his basket, and then his mer- 
chandise into more dollars still. That boy will be sure to 
prosper. I have no doubt that he has money saved up 
somewhere. A beginning shows that a boy is in earnest 
to do something, that he has a head, and is not, like a 
fiddler, all elbows. If it set him thinking, it will keep him 
thinking, and this thought will improve his chances by detect- 
ing errors and showing him how to avoid them. Half the 
poor outcasts of this world were made so because they had n't 
the pedler-boy's courage, — the courage to begin. Had they 
made a start, they might have prospered as well. You are 
both desirous of doing something to make money." 

"Yes, indeed!" shouted the boys with one voice. 

"Well," repHed Uncle Benny, "a farm is a poor place for 
even a smart boy to make money on, unless the farmer has 
heart and soul enough to give him a chance. That don't 
happen as often as it should, for farmers think too much of 
what only themselves want, and too little of what their boys 
do. This farm is about as poor a one, I fear, for the boys 
to make money on it as any one I ever saw, unless Mr. 
Spangler thinks, as I do, that they ought to have a chance. 

" Won't you ask father, some day, to let us ivy } " in(iuired 
Joe. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 53 

"But I don't want to stay here," added Tony. "I want 
to go to the city, to New York or Philadelphia, and make 
money there." 

Uncle Benny was surprised at hearing this avowal from 
Tony King, It was the first intimation he had ever received 
that Tony wanted to quit farm life for city life. Though he 
was aware that the poor fellow had no living friends, — at 
least none that he knew to be living, — as the last of them, 
his father's brother had gone to the West some ten years 
])efore, and had not been heard of since, yet he had not 
suspected Tony of having even thought of quitting the 
(arm. 

He could not help mentally agreeing with him, that for 
an ambitious boy the prospect was not encouraging. He 
was surrounded by one of those combinations of unfriendly 
circumstances that almost invariably drive boys from the 
country to seek their fortunes in the city. No attractions 
were set before him to make the farm a pleasant home. It 
seemed as if Mr. Spangler had wholly forgotten that he had 
himself once been a boy, for he evinced no sympathy with 
the young minds around him. His own sons had no recrea- 
tions of his suggesting or providing. Their holidays oc- 
curred only when it rained. No one had thoughtfully 
supplied them with fishing-lines, though there was capital 
sport within a walk of two miles. What little they could do 
at fishing was always done in a hurry, sometimes in the rain, 



54 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

sometimes on a Sunday. Those were the only times when 
they could be spared from work. If they set snares for 
rabbits or muskrats, they were the rude contrivances which 
their schoolmates had taught them to make. They had no 
pets, for they had never been taught a loving disposition, — 
no pigeons, no chickens, no beehive, not even a dog. The 
home affections had been so sadly neglected, that even in 
the hearts of the Spangler boys there was an unsatisfied 
blank. In Tony's there was a still greater one, for he was 
an orphan. 

There was also quite a noticeable difference between the 
treatment extended to the boys and that which the girls 
received. The three boys slept in a great garret room, a 
rough, unfinished apartment, hung round with cobwebs, and 
open enough to permit the wasps to enter and build long 
rows of nests. There was nothing to educate the eye to 
neatness or order, — no curtains to the windows, no carpet 
on the floor, no chairs on which to sit while dressing or 
undressing, no looking-glass or washstand, — nothing, in 
short, to give a cheerful aspect to the place in summer, 
or to make it comfortable in winter. Any room seemed 
good enough for the boys. 

Yet there was a better chamber on the floor below, carpeted 
and furnished. But though strangers never came to that 
house for entertainment, still it was too good a room for 
the boys. Thus their personal comfort was neglected. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 55 

They saw nothing around them to make home attractive, 
nothing to invest it with charms exceeding those of all 
other places. Hence a disposition sprang up to look abroad 
for comfort, for counting the chances of doing and living 
better in a new location. There was a growing anxiety for 
the time to arrive when they should be free to quit an 
occupation which they upon whom rested the highest 
obligation to make it agreeable had made distasteful. 

On the other hand, the girls in this household occupied 
one of its best chambers, carpeted and furnished, with a 
dressing-bureau, chairs, and tables, with curtains to the 
windows, and a variety of other accessories. It is true that 
there is a natural aptitude in women for making even bare 
walls attractive, — for collecting around them conveniences 
and elegances of their own devising, and with very meagre 
materials investing their especial chamber with an air of 
snugness, cleanliness, and comfort beyond the capacity of 
the other sex. Such tendencies are inherent in women. 
But the materials for achieving these results must to some 
extent be placed within their reach. Here the girls were 
provided with the essentials, — a rag carpet, it is true, and 
quite decrepit chairs and tables, — but their native taste 
contributed the rest. But from the boys even these es- 
sentials were withheld ; and being deficient in the house- 
keeping instinct, they lived on in their comfortless garret, 
conscious of its deficiencies, but without the tact necessary 



56 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

to supply them. If others observed this, it did not matter ; 
it was only the boys' room, and was good enough. 

Moreover, of a stormy day, when out-of-door work was 
impossible, the kitchen was always large enough to contain 
the girls without their being in anybody's way ; but there 
was never room for the boys. They had wet clothes, muddy 
shoes, and were complained of as sitting down in the most 
inconvenient places round the fire. But it was because no 
others had been provided for them. They soon learned they 
were not welcome there, — the room wherein, of all others, 
a farmer's boy conceives he has the right of entrance and 
domicile, was made so unpleasant that they generally kept 
away from it. They were treated too much as inferiors, 
as of no account except being good for so much work. It 
is such neglect, such treatment as this, that drives hundreds 
of well-meaning and deserving boys from the farm to the 
city. No doubt there are many who live through it all, and 
remain at home. No doubt there are farmers' sons who 
develop superior talents for some particular branch of science 
or art, for the successful practice of which a great city is 
the only remunerative field. It may be proper for such 
to leave the farm, as every man should go where he feels 
he is most wanted, and the world may be benefited by such 
enlargement of their field for usefulness. They are evidently 
born for some other pursuit than that of farming. 

It was this general neglect that was working on Tony's 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 57 

active mind so strongly as to lead him to think of adventuring 
on a city life. Though he knew nothing of the risks of that, 
yet he understood the discomforts of this. Boy-like, he was 
willing to encounter the former, though unknown, in order 
to escape from the latter, which he knew too well. The 
exhortations of Uncle Benny had so generally ended in a 
condemnation of Mr. Spangler's mode of farming, without 
effecting any marked improvement in the management, that 
Tony began to despair of an amendment in which he could 
participate. All boys who happen to be born on farms are 
not calculated to make good farmers. Some are so con- 
stitutionally organized that their tastes and talents run in 
another direction. Taking that, they succeed ; but adhering 
to the farm, they would fail. Others dislike farming because 
of its hard work, — no one whose duty it is taking pains 
to diversify that work by interweaving amusement or rec- 
reation, or the stimulant of juvenile profit. Others can 
see in farming no prospect of becoming rich. 

But Tony did not belong to either of these classes. He 
had been born in the country, had no aversion to hard work, 
and would prefer remaining on a farm ; but he was getting 
tired of Mr. Spangler. It was singular, however, that, while 
thinking of making a change, it had never occurred to him 
to go away and engage with a really good farmer, where 
he would be sure to learn the business thoroughly. Instead 
of entertaining this sensible idea, he had thought only of a 



58 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

plunge into the city. But Tony was young in the experiences 
of this world, and had much to learn. 

The dissatisfaction thus manifested by Tony to the 
farm life around him was a new difficulty for Uncle 
Henny to smooth away. Heretofore he had had only 
Spangler's lapses and mismanagement to contend with, 
but here was trouble in a new quarter. Yet his concern 
for the welfare of these boys was so great, and he was 
so well satisfied that they could do pretty well at farm 
life if there was any way of making them contented, 
that he resolved to do his utmost toward counteracting 
these unexpected symptoms of restlessness. He was quite 
pleased that the youngest boy, Bill Spangler, came into 
the barn just in time to hear Tony's remark about quit- 
ting the farm, as he too would have the benefit of his 
reply. 

As the old man was a great reader, he generally 
carried a newspaper of some kind in his pocket, from 
which he was in the habit of reading aloud to the boys 
any article that struck him as being likely to amuse or 
instruct them. Sometimes, when they had been debating 
or discussing a topic with him, he would produce a paper 
containing an article on the very subject they had been 
talking about, . and on his reading it aloud, they found 
in it a remarkable confirmation of what he had already 
told them. As it was in a newspaper, the boys consid- 



FARMING FOR BOYS 59 

ered that it must be true, and as it always supported 
him in his views, they wondered more and more how 
the old man came to know so much, as well as always 
to be right. These readings became so popular with 
the boys, that, whenever a chance offered, they uniformly 
inquired if there was not something more in the paper 
that was worth hearing. 

The fact was that Uncle Benny, discovering how 
tractable these boys were, and how much they needed 
the right kind of instruction, had subscribed for two or 
three papers which he knew contained such reading as 
would be useful to them. After examining them himself, 
he would select some subject discussed or explained in 
them, which he thought would be important for the 
boys to understand, and then, putting the paper into his 
pocket, would give them, on the first suitable occasion, 
a verbal account of the matter, or start a discussion 
about it. After it had been pretty thoroughly debated and 
turned over, he would produce the paper and read the ar- 
ticle aloud. Of course it confirmed all that he had been 
saying, and as it was in print — for they saw it there — it 
clinched the argument beyond dispute, and must be so. 

But this little stroke of ingenuity was not adopted by 
Uncle Benny for the purpose of impressing his audience 
with an exalted idea of his superior knowledge or wisdom, 
but merely as an attractive mode of interesting their minds 



6o FARMING FOR BOYS. 

in subjects with which it was important that they should 
become well acquainted. It was surprising how much his 
method of proceeding interested them. There has been a 
great deal said of the usefulness of farmers' clubs, and of 
the addresses delivered before them. No one will doubt 
their having done good service to the farming community, 
or that the more of them we have the better it will be for 
us ; but, considering the size of Uncle Benny's audiences, 
and the general lack of knowledge pervading them, it may 
be doubted whether his lectures, delivered sometimes in the 
barn, sometimes on the rider of a worm-fence, sometimes 
even when hoeing up weeds, were not quite as productive 
of good as many others having not only larger audiences, 
but greater pretensions. 

His system had another advantage. The boys always 
wanted to see the newspaper for themselves, to have it m 
their own hands. This was exactly one of the results the 
old man was desirous of bringing about, as they were sure 
to read over the articles he had himself read aloud, besides 
studying the remaining contents. As he had great faith 
in the value of agricultural papers among farmers' boys, as 
well as among farmers too, he kept the boys supplied with 
all the reading of this kind they desired. 

Now it happened, oddly enough, when Tony King said 
he wanted to give up farming and go to the city, that 
Uncle Benny had that very week been reading an article 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 6 1 

in a newspaper which spoke about farmers* boys rushing 
into it. The old man, being equally opposed to their mak- 
ing such a change, laid it down to Tony very plainly in- 
deed. He told him the idea was absurd ; that he did n't 
know what was best for him ; that his great want was to 
learn to be contented where he was, and to wait until he 
was at least five years older and wiser before he thought 
any more of changing. Then, by way of settling the mat- 
ter, he drew the paper from his pocket and read as 
follows : — 

"The very worst thing a country boy can do is to leave 
the farm and come to the city, in hopes of doing better. 
Yet they come here every week by dozens, giving up good 
places where they are well taken care of, and pitch in 
among a crowd of strangers who take no notice of them, 
or give short answers when they are applied to for a 
situation, or even a small job. They take it for granted 
that there is always plenty to do here, and that it is an easy 
thing to get a situation in a store or counting-house, where 
there is little to do and good pay for doing it. They see 
that the clerks and shop-boys who sometimes come among 
them in the country are all well-dressed and smart-looking 
fellows, with plenty of money in their pockets, which they 
spend as freely as if there was no end to it, — gunning, boat- 
ing, hiring carriages to drive the girls about, &c. They 
think that these smart clerks must have a capital life of it 



62 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

in the city. They also now and then hear of a poor coun- 
try boy who went into a city store and made a fortune in 
a very short time. Thus they get to envying the Hfe of 
the town boys, and are uneasy and restless until they 
m ike the trial of finding out how difficult and dangerous 
such a life is. They see only the bright side of the pic- 
ture. 

"But all these boys are greatly mistaken. It may look 
very genteel and easy to stand behind a counter and do 
nothing but measure out goods, but it is close and con- 
fining labor nevertheless. If it is cleaner work than scrap- 
ing up a barn-yard or currying down a horse, it is not half so 
wholesome. Besides, it is not an easy matter to get a situa- 
tion in a store. Our city is full of boys born among us, 
whose parents find great difficulty in obtaining places for 
them. Many of these boys go into stores and offices with- 
out getting a dollar of pay. The privilege of being taught 
how to do business is considered compensation enough, — 
they actually work for nothing and find themselves. Our 
store-boys have no time for play. They have no green 
fields to look at or ramble over, nothing but dust, and mud, 
and hot bricks, with quite as much real hard work as the 
country boys, only it is of a different kind. What boy of 
the right spirit would desire to come here and merely run 
of shop errands all day, learning nothing but how to go 
about town, when he could stay in the country, sure to learn 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 6^ 

how to get a living ? Besides, a boy here is surrounded 
by temptations to ruin, and the poorer he is the more cer- 
tain are they to lead him astray. Where one such does 
well, there are two who turn out thieves or vagabonds. We 
t^y to you, boys, stay on the farm where you are. If you 
are determined to come, don't come without you have some 
friend here who will receive you into his house, provide you 
with employment, and take care of you. But anyhow, wait 
until you are older, say twenty-one at least. Then, if you 
don't think better of it, you will be somewhat able to fight 
your way, for here it is nothing but fighting." 

As the old man read this very deliberately, the boys 
listened with the utmost attention. " There ! " said he, 
when he had finished, " that man knows what he says. He 
lives in the city, and understands about it. You see that 
he advises you exactly as I do." 

This unexpected confirmation had a powerful effect on 
the minds of all the boys. It appHed so directly to Tony's 
case, as to make him think differently of the chances of a 
city life. As usual, he wanted to see the article for himself, 
and, beginning to read it aloud to the other boys, the old 
man left the barn, thinking that a little free conversation 
on the subject among themselves would do no harm. 



6ji FARMING FOR BOYS. 



CHAPTER V. 

Something to do. — The Value of Pigeons. — Buying Pigs and 
I'u'.EONS. — The Old Uaitle-Ground at Trenton. — How to keep 
Pigeons. 

IV T O law of our physical nature is more imperative than 
-^ ^ that we must exert ourselves, — we must have some- 
thing to do. If it everywhere applies to men, it acts even , 
more energetically upon boys. Activity, mental as well as 
bodily, is a necessity of boyhood. Nothing is more irksome 
for a lad than to be required to sit still for an hour, because 
that implies the doing of nothing. Yet give him hook and 
line, add a worm or a grasshopper, and anchor him within 
reach of a ditch with probably only a single fish in it, and 
he will wait hours in excited expectation of a nibble. It 
passes for fishing, and is therefore enough of action, for the 
time, to satisfy the desire for activity which gives life and ani- 
mation to boyhood. This longing after action, innocent in 
its direction, is to be encouraged, not repressed. The rol- 
licking fellow who runs, and leaps, and halloos, is as worthy 
of having liis taste for amusement cultivated, as the quieter 
student whose life is in his books, or the more calculating 
youth whose mind begins thus early to run on the profits 
of trade. The general trait develops itself differently in 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 65 

each, and in all it should be promoted and encouraged 
If checked by violence, or deadened by neglect or want of 
op])ortunity for indulgence, discontent succeeds. An urgent 
necessity of the boyish nature thus remaining ungratified, 
relief is sought in distant scenes or objects which promise 
to afford it. 

These boys on Spangler's farm were therefore all anxious 
to be doing something for themselves. It was not mere work 
they were coveting, as of that they had sufficient, but some 
little venture thi.t they would prize as being exclusively their 
own. Uncle Benny comprehended the case so fully, that he 
took the first opportunity to lay the matter before Mr. Spang- 
ler, and to urge upon him the necessity of giving the boys a 
chance. He said it would be a very small thing to let Tony 
keep a pig, while Joe could have a flock of pigeons, and Bill 
might have a brood of chickens. Spangler could n't see the 
necessity for it, did n't know what the boys wanted with all 
these, said that every one of them would eat corn, and in- 
quired where that was to come from ; besides, where were 
they to get pigs, and pigeons, and chickens to begin with ? 
The idea of cheering them on by a little aid did not enter his 
mind, lie had never yet put himself out of the way to gratify 
his boys. 

As to the corn which the new pets were to eat, the old 
man said, if he would permit them, they could raise it for 
themselves. They could easily plant and cultivate a couple 
5 



66 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

of acres at odd times, — before breakfast or after quitting farir 
work ; and if they used any of his while theirs was growing, 
they would replace it when their crop came in. Uncle Benny 
pledged himself that he would see to all this, that he would 
make the boys keep accounts of what they used, and indeed 
of all their other expenses, and that Mr. Spangler should 
lose nothing by it. As to the land they were to have, he 
told Spangler that he could sjpare it well enough ; that he 
had now at least three times as much as he knew how to 
farm properly ; that he had good boys about him who de- 
served to have some favors shown them ; and wound up 
by warning him that there was great danger of all three 
becoming discontented, and disposed to leave him as soon 
as they could, unless their wishes were in some way grati- 
fied. 

It was a very great struggle for Spangler to yield to 
proposals of a kind so new to him. But even his wife had 
less influence over him than Uncle Benny. If any other 
person had made a similar proposition, he would have 
silenced him by a flat refusal. Even as it was, it went 
very hard with him to consent to any part of it. He clung 
to the two acres the boys wanted, as if it was all the land he 
had ; as, like many other men with large farms, he had never 
imagined that he had too much. But he objected strenuously 
to the boys being permitted to keep pigeons, as he said they 
would attack his wheat-fields, and eat more grain than their 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 6^ 

heads were worth. Besides, they would fly away for miles 
round, and the neighbors would complain of the damage 
they would be sure to do, the blame of which would all 
rest on him. 

But the old man reminded him that, as to his wheat 
crop, he starved it so effectually that no flock of pigeons 
could make it much poorer. Besides, he said, it was a 
great mistake to suppose that pigeons on a farm, even 
when kept in large numbers, were in the habit of injur- 
ing the grain crops. He knew that farmers generally 
considered them as thieves and depredators, and so shot 
them when they came upon their grounds ; but they 
condemned them ignorantly, and shot them unwisely, just 
as they did king-birds because they were believed to eat 
up their bees, or crows for pulling up their corn. The 
king-birds, that are frequently seen darting at the bees 
about a hive, eat up the drones only, as anybody could 
ascertain who would kill one and open his crop. So, 
where the crows pulled up one hill of corn, they de- 
voured a hundred grubs. In short, he made use of the 
occasion to give Spangler a lesson on the history and 
habits, of our common pigeons, that enlarged his knowl- 
edge of the subject very considerably. He told him that 
in England pigeons were protected by law from being 
killed, by a penalty of ten dollars in our money, and 
that in foreign countries they had been raised for centu- 



68 FARMING FOR LOYS. 

ries as a source of profit. They are all fond of the 
seeds of weeds and of many wild plants, they are most 
industrious workers in devouring them. It is in search 
of such seeds that they are seen alighting in the fields 
at all seasons of the year, as well when no winter grain 
is ripening as when it is. They thus do the farmer a 
great service in keeping his fields clean, by preventing 
an increase of weeds. 

No matter at what time of year a pigeon's crop may 
be opened, it will be found to contain at least eight 
times as much of the seeds of weeds as of wheat, or 
rye, or corn, or other grains. It is also very remarkable, 
that the grains thus taken from the fields are defective 
ones. They take only the worthless seeds. For these 
reasons these birds should be regarded as the best weed- 
ers that a farmer can employ ; for while he merely 
chops up a weed, often when it is so well grown that 
it ripens its seeds on the ground where he may have 
loft it, the pigeons come along and make clean work by 
eating them. The farmer removes merely the weeds, but 
the pigeons remove the cause of them. 

Any one who has kept these birds on his premises 
must have noticed how fond they are of pecking among 
the rubbish which is thrown out from a barn-floor after 
threshing wheat or other grain. They will search there, 
for many days together, hunting out the shrivelled grains, 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 69 

the poppy-seeds and cockle, and other pests of the farm, 
thus getting many a good meal from seeds that barn- 
yard fowls never condescend to pick up. When the lat- 
ter get into a garden, they scratch and tear up every- 
thing, as though they were scratching for a \\-ager ; but 
a pigeon is better bred by nature, — he never scratches; 
hence he disturbs no seeds the gardener may have planted. 
When he gets into the garden, it is either to get a 
nibble at the pea-vines or the beans, as he is extrava- 
gantly fond of both, or to search for weeds. 

This fondness of the pigeon tribe for seeds of plants 
injurious to the farm is much better known in Europe 
than with us. At one time, in certain districts of France, 
where large numbers of pigeons had been kept, they 
were nearly all killed off. These districts had been fa- 
mous for the fine, clean, and excellent quality of the 
wheat raised within them. But very soon after the num- 
ber of pigeons had been reduced, the land became over- 
grown with weeds that choked the crops. The straw, in 
consequence, grew thin and weak, while the grain was 
so deficient in plumpness and weight as to render it un- 
fit for seed. Every farmer remarked the difference when 
the districts had plenty of pigeons and when they had 
only a few. The people therefore returned to pigeon- 
keeping. Every landlord, in renting his farm, required 
his tenants to build a pigeon-house or dove-cot, in order 



70 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

to insure crops. Many of these were very expensive struc- 
tures. It has been further observed in other districts in 
France, that where pigeons are most abundant there the 
wheat-fields are most productive, and that they never 
touch seed which has been rolled in lime. 

The defence of this beautiful domestic bird which Un- 
cle Benny thus made in reply to Mr. Spangler's objec- 
tions quite disarmed him ; for he had great respect for 
the old man's superior knowledge ; and as it appeared 
the pigeons would not only do no harm, but would 
really be likely to do much good, he consented to all 
that was required, — the boys should have pigs, fowls, 
and pigeons, and two acres of ground on which to raise 
their food. 

This extraordinary concession was made just before 
Christmas. It took the boys so by surprise, and they 
were so excited by the prospect before them, that, after 
going to bed, they talked it over during half the night. 
They had not been much used to receiving Christmas pres- 
ents, but if they had, and had now been overlooked, they 
would not have missed them. Tony's gratification was so 
lively that it gave a difierent turn to his thoughts. He forgot 
all about wanting to try his luck in the city, and a new am- 
bition sprung up to remain on the farm. A motive had 
been created, a stimulant had been set before him ; there 
was a prospect of his doing something he had long desired, 
— make a beginning. 



FARMING FOR BOYS 7I 

Farmers do not understand the value to themselves, 
or the importance to their boys, of little concessions like 
these. They are the surest agencies for developing the self- 
reliance of a boy. When working for himself, labor be- 
comes pastime, — it is sweetened by the hope of rewar<i. 
Lessons set before the mind under such circumstances 
become indelibly impressed upon it, for personal expe- 
rience is the best teacher of all. The farm, instead of 
being an object of aversion, becomes one of preference. 
The boy's treasure being there, there also will his heart 
be found. Yet this simple process for imbuing him with 
a fondness for rural life, and of weaning him from his 
undefined longings after the trials, the hazards, and the 
disappointments inseparable from venturing on a life in 
the city, is so generally neglected as to become the fruitful 
cause of numberless desertions of the country homestead. 

As Christmas is everywhere a holiday, so it was on the 
Spangler farm. The boys, exuberant and gleeful, were in 
ecstasies when Uncle Benny told them he intended they 
should go with him to Trenton, see the sights, and look 
after pigs and pigeons. That city was but a few miles 
away. They put the horse to the wagon, and drove 
off over a frozen highway which much travel had beaten 
perfectly smooth. Of course their whole conversation was 
about what they were to see in Trenton, of their prospective 
pets, what they would do, and how much money they wouk^ 



*]2 r-AKMlNG FOR BOYS. 

make another year. Uncle Benny underwent a crossfire 
of questions, and listened to hopes and fears, most incessant 
and diversified. But what else could such hopeful boys be 
expected to indulge in ? It was the first real jubilee of their 
lives, and the ride was memorable for them all. 

As they neared the city, they heard the beating of drums 
and the firing of distant musketry. Coming still nearer, the 
firing continued, and then Uncle Benny informed them that 
that- day was the anniversary of the great battle of Trenton, 
when Washington surprised and captured the Hessians, and 
that the military companies of New Jersey and Pennsylvania 
were then holding their annual celebration of that memorable 
event, by repeating, in the streets and suburbs of Trenton, 
the same movements, the same attacks, retreats, and sur- 
render, as in the battle itself The boys begged him to 
whip up and get in so that they might witness the whole 
affair, as they had been so shut up at home as never to have 
seen such a company of soldiers together. The old man, 
ever ready to confer a pleasure, hurried up the horse, and 
had him snug at a livery-stable just as the sham-battle 
was fairly under way. 

Then the boys saw a body of troops marching down State 
Street. These represented a party of the Plessians who had 
been suddenly routed out of their quarters by the Con- 
tinentals. As they came down, they occasionally faced 
about and discharged their muskets at an imaginary body 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 73 

of the Continentals coming in from the country. Then 
another division of Americans came down, by a different 
street, upon a second party of the Hessians, exactly as it 
had been when the real battle was fought. These also fired, 
as did the Hessians, and for some minutes the cracking of 
guns rattled briskly through the city. Then came bayonet 
charges and countercharges, followed by the retreat and 
complete surrounding of the Hessians. Presently the boys 
saw them lay down their arms and surrender to the Amer- 
icans on the very spot where the enemy had surrendered 
in 1776. It was an unexpected treat for the boys to witness 
this exciting exhibition, and for a time they thought nothing 
of the errand on which they came to Trenton. 

As might be supposed, the streets were thronged with 
citizens, while the doors and windows of the adjoining houses 
were occupied by spectators of the scene. The ladies waved 
their handkerchiefs, and the crowd threw up their hats and 
shouted as they perceived the victory to be complete. When 
the Hessians surrendered, they were treated with quite as 
much attention as rebel prisoners of the present day have 
undeservedly experienced. Instead of having their arms 
taken from them, their pockets searched, and being marched 
off to prison, the Continentals escorted them to the neighbor- 
ing taverns, where they got the best kind of a dinner. It is 
quite probable their captors were equally hungry and thirsty 
after the terrible battle they had fought, and out of com- 



74 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

pliment to their prisoners went through a similar exercise 
with toddy-sticks and carving-knives. The boys were sur- 
prised to find, when the battle was over, that nobody had 
been hurt ; but had they remained in town until night, they 
would have seen a great many wounded men limping about 
the streets, some of whom appeared to have been shot about 
the head or in the neck, and who limped so badly as to 
require both sides of the pavement to enable them to keep 
on their feet. There had been instances of these wounded 
men limping over even into the gutter. But as the boys 
witnessed none of these exhibitions, they thought the sham- 
battle the grandest incident of their lives. 

Beside the citizens, there was a large crowd of people 
from the country, who had come in to be spectators of the 
celebration. Though u had been regularly kept up, yet they 
did not seem to tire of it, and flocked in just as regularly as 
the anniversary came around. Getting out of this dense 
crowd, Uncle Benny took his party down Greene Street to the 
narrow old stone bridge that crosses the Assanpink Creek. 
As the boys were greatly interested in all they saw, and 
as the old man had recently been reading to them this part 
of the history of the Revolution, no doubt in his own mind 
intending to take them to see these very things, he pointed 
out the bridge as being the same old one where the British 
had several times attempted to cross and get at Washington 
on the heights upon the other side of the creek, and that 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 



75 



here it was they had each time been driven back with ter- 

m 

rible slaughter. Here, too, it was that the young girls, 
dressed in white, had scattered flowers in the road in front 
of the great hero, and sung their beautiful welcome, when 
he was passing over the bridge after the war had closed. 

They stayed a long while on the bridge, listening to what 
he said of it, and talking over these old times. 




*' Here, boys," said the old man, '' is the same bridge, here 
are the same streets, on which these great battles were 
fought, but the men who fought them are all gone, not one 



^6 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

of^them is now alive unless it be a solitary old pensioner. 
Even the young girls are all gone." 

"But," said Bill, the youngest of the three, looking up 
into the old man's face, "are not j/ou an old Revolutioner ? " 

** Not yet," replied Uncle Benny. " I am old, but not 
old enough to be a Revolutioner." 

From this spot they wandered over the outskirts of the 
city, looking into the pig-pens that abound there, in search 
of an eligible porker with which to make a beginning. They 
went about leisurely, and of course saw a great variety, some 
in nice clean pens, and some in pens so foul that it was 
evident the dirty pigs were not doing nearly so well as the 
clean ones. All this was carefully pointed out to the boys, 
and they did not fail to remark the difference. At last they 
came to a man who had a number of what he called the 
Chester County Whites, — fine round fellows with short 
legs, short ears, short faces, and long bodies. 

This was the kind Uncle Benny had been seeking for. 
The boys themselves acknowledged that they looked nicer 
and fatter than any others they had seen. As all were now 
deeply interested in pork, the boys bristled up and entered 
into these matters with zeal ; and their opinion being asked 
by the old man which pig, of all they had seen, they would 
prefer, they agreed upon the Chester Counties. So a young 
sow was purchased, which would drop a litter of the pure 
breed in about two months. For this purchase Uncle Benny 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 77 

ddvartced the sum of thirty dollars out of his own pocket, 
the money to be refunded to him by sale of the pigs that 
were to come, the seUer agreeing to deliver the sow at Mr. 
Spangler's farm the following week, so as to allow time for 
putting up a suitable pen. 

This purchase made, they set out to inspect the hen-roosts 
and pigeon-houses. It was concluded not to buy any chick- 
ens just then, as Mrs Spangler had quite a number already 
on the farm, and Uncle Benny thought there would be dan- 
ger of disputes arising with her about eggs and other mat- 
ters, and he did not choose to run the risk of ruffling her 
feathers. But he advanced four dollars to pay for six pairs 
of pigeons, which he was to receive back from the increase 
of the flock. He thought it better to lend the money to the 
boys than to make them a present of it, as it would rest on 
their minds as a sort of weight or obligation, teaching them 
the necessity of care and economy to clear it off. The 
pigeon-dealer put the birds into a roomy box with a covering 
of slats, and the party started for home. 

The boys were at work early next morning, under Uncle 
Benny's direction, fitting up a pigeon-house. There was a 
large loft over the wagon-shed, where they resolved it should 
be. It had a good, tight floor, to which they could ascend 
through a trap by means of a step-ladder. The front was 
open, but this they soon made all right by nailing up laths 
sufficiently close to keep the pigeons in, but so far apart that 



78 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

they could put out their heads and survey the premises, so 
as to become perfectly familiar with them before being al- 
lowed their liberty. Part of this lattice-work projected two 
or three feet beyond the front, thus affording to the birds a 
view, from two sides and the front, of all that was going on 
out of doors. They then provided nests by making rough 
boxes about fifteen inches square and four inches deep, which 
they pushed back under one of the eaves, giving the pigeons 
a chance at the seclusion which they invariably covet when 
ready to lay and hatch out their young. These fixtures were 
made of odd stuff they found lying about. But the great 
help toward doing even this was found in the old man's tool- 
chest. They could have done very little without him and 
his tools. 

When these hasty but sufficient preparations had been 
made, he required them to put into the loft a low earthen 
pan, of large size, filled with water, for the pigeons to bathe 
in, as well as to drink from ; for pigeons are thirsty beings, 
and delight in water. No creatures enjoy drinking more 
heartily. They plunge the head in nearly up to the eyes, 
and take a full draught at once, not slowly and deliberately, 
like chickens. He also fitted up for them a feeding-trough 
about two inches deep, which he covered with a wire net- 
work, so as to keep the pigeons from getting into it, but with 
the meshes large enough for them to put in their bills and 
take out the food, This would keep the latter free from dirt, 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 79 

as well as prevent waste. Then over one corner of the loft 
he caused to be spread at least a bushel of fine gravel, broken 
lime, and pounded bricks, to assist digestion and furnish ma- 
terial for the formation of egg-shells. Beside this there was 
a supply of common salt, an article which is indispensable 
to the health of pigeons. 

The making of all these preparations was of course a great 
affair for the boys, but it was surprising how heartily they 
carried them through. The simple fact was, their sympathies 
had been enlisted in a cause exclusively their own. They 
therefore kept to their work as energetically as if sure to get 
rich by it. Indeed, while thus engaged, there were a great 
many conjectures indulged in as to when the pigeons would 
begin to lay, how many eggs would be hatched in the course 
of a year, and whether they should take the squabs to Tren- 
ton market and sell them, or whether it would not be better 
to let them grow up, and thus increase the flock to a large 
size, before they began to sell any. There was a general im- 
patience among them to hurry up the laying, and have it be- 
gin immediately. If that important operation could have 
been performed by the boys themselves, there is no doubt but 
they would have cheerfully undertaken it. It is probable 
that, if it had been in their line to do the hatching, they 
would have undertaken that branch of the business also. 

Everything being thus made ready to receive the pigeons, 
they were let loose in their new quarters, there to become 



80 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

reconciled to the strange scenes around them. The food 
that had been taken from the corn-crib was carefully meas- 
ured, and entered in an account-book that Uncle Benny- 
had provided, so that all should know what was the cost of 
keeping pigeons, and that the boys should be taught account- 
keeping, as well as the importance of having a written record 
of their doings. Besides these advantages, it was necessary 
for the satisfaction of Mr. Spangler. He had thought pret- 
ty well of their keeping a pig, but he had a very poor opin- 
ion of the pigeons, notwithstanding the luminous disquisition 
of Uncle Benny as to their being an advantage on a farm. 
He said from the first that they would eat their heads off, and 
that he knew he should have to foot the bill. It was there- 
fore highly desirable to know exactly the cost of feeding 
them, if it were only to satisfy him. As the responsibility 
of the whole enterprise rested on Uncle Benny, he was de- 
termined to see that no part of it was neglected. 

The pigeons very soon became reconciled to their new 
lodgings, as pigeons always will be when they have roomy 
quarters, with plenty to eat and drink. The greater the num- 
ber, the sooner they accept a new place as their home ; and, 
as a general rule, the larger the flock the better it thrives, as 
pigeons are eminently social in their natures. A solitary 
pair, put into a new house, will be very likely to leave it and 
unite with a large flock established elsewhere. To do this 
they will travel many miles. But as in this case the boys had 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 8 1 

procured a dozen, there was sufficient companionship to make 
any home agreeable that was as well attended as this was. 
They were constantly seen in the projecting lattice-work in 
front of their quarters, enjoying the sun, stretching their 
wmgs, and looking all over the premises, as if wanting to 
make acquaintance with them. 



82 FARMING FOR BOYS. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Building a Pig-Pen. — How to keep Pigs. — A great Increase. — Two 
Acres ok Corn. — Liquid Manure the Life of a Plant. 

^ I ^HIS important part of the general future being thus 
-*- successfully under way, the next thing was to fit up 
a pig-pen, for the new queen in the boys' affections would 
very soon be brought home. As there was a scarcity of 
materials on the farm for constructing a fashionable modern 
pen, with brick walls, shingle roof, plank floor, and costly 
iron feeding-trough, Uncle Benny directed them to use a 
large old molasses-hogshead, that happened to be lying idle. 
One of the boys got into it and removed all the projecting 
nails from the inside, then, placing it on its side, and block- 
ing it so that it could not roll over, they put into it an 
abundant supply of straw for a bed. They then built a 
fence of old posts, broken rails, pieces of board, sticks 
from the wood-pile, and any other waste stuff they could 
find. In fact, there was nothing else to be had. It was a 
tottering, decrepit sort of affair, although strong enough 
to keep the pig in, but it enclosed sufficient room to give 
her a fine range, while the great hogshead would be sure 
to afford a retreat always dry and warm, — in fact, just such 
a shelter as a pig must have, if one expects him to keep 
himself clean and in thriving condition. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 83 

Though Uncle Benny had himself superintended the erec- 
tion of a structure which was destined to be the theatre for 
very important events, yet, when finished, he gazed upon 
it with a sort of architectural dismay. He had a nice eye 
for the beautiful ; but here was a collection of all the crippled 
boards and half-rotten posts and rails that such a farm as 
Spangler's generally contains in wasteful abundance. " It 
must be whitewashed," he exclaimed. " I am ashamed 
of it. Your pig will be ashamed of it too, and the neigh- 
bors will laugh at it. The hogshead will do, but the fence 
must be whitewashed." 

Mr. Spangler, coming up at that moment, and hearing 
the old man's remark, joined in by saying, " Yes ! It 
beats me all hollow ! There 's no worm-fence on the farm 
like it." 

The uneducated eye of the boys being unable to ap- 
preciate the squalid features of the structure, they were 
surprised at these disparaging estimates of the results of 
their labor, but, on promising that they would supply the 
whitewash as soon as the weather became warmer, the sub- 
ject was dropped. 

In due time the expected and long-desired pig was brought 
to her future home, and she went cheerfully into it, giving 
no critical attention to the fence, but making directly for 
the feeding-trough, which had been crammed, with boyish 
generosity, as evidence of a hearty welcome. She was a 



84 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

sleek, demure, and very motherly looking pig, and ner white 
skin was so much cleaner than any of the dirty razor-backed 
animals in Spangler's pen that everybody remarked it. Mrs. 
Spangler herself, with all the girls, could not resist the 
temptation of coming over to see what they had heard 
described at every meal since Christmas. Even they ob- 
served the difference ; but one of them, whose name was 
Nancy, rather spitefully remarked that it would n't last ; 
she 'd soon be as dirty-looking as the others. This so 
nettled Joe, that he said the pig should be called after 
her ; and the boys falling in with the idea, they formally 
adopted the name. Even Uncle Benny always used it when 
speaking of her. 

The advent of this animal created even more interest 
among the boys than that of the pigeons. The latter were 
away up in the loft, out of reach, and not proper subjects 
for handling or talking to, besides being shy and unsociable, 
except among themselves. But Nancy was down upon the 
ground, always accessible, ever desirous of seeing company, 
and with so quick an ear that the Hghtest approaching foot- 
fall would bring her out of her warm hogshead to see what 
was coming. Whether it was company she wanted, or a 
bucket of swill, was of little apparent consequence. She 
turned out regularly when any one came near, and drew 
up to him with amusing familiarity. 

The fact was that Bill Spangler had become as attentive 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 8$ 

to her as if she had been his sweetheart, and he seemed 
to Hve, and move, and have his being in hanging around 
the pen, or in getting over the fence to give her a grateful 
scratching with the currycomb. After a very brief practice 
under this rough shampooing, Nancy took to lying down 
on her side the moment Bill put his foot over the fence, 
and waited, with an impatient grunt, for Bill to begin. It 
was amusing to see how highly she relished these rough 
but acceptable attentions, shutting her eyes, as if oblivious 
of all outward things, even of the feeding-trough, dropping 
her ears in perfect repose, stretching out her legs, and 
abandoning herself entirely to the soothing influence. 
Every one was satisfied that Nancy's skin became cleaner 
and whiter under this treatment, even to the putting on 
of a silky brightness. Uncle Benny was so sure that she 
was improving under it, that he gave Bill great credit for 
having undertaken the labor of two or three curryings 
daily. 

Bill also kept the pen in order. Having been provided 
with a clean, dry bed, she kept that clean herself; for it is 
the instinct of a w^ell-bred pig to keep his nest in good order, 
if a nice dry one be given him, with adjoining space for other 
purposes. In this useful duty Bill was not dismayed by the 
occurrence of a drizzling, muddy day. On the contrary, as 
the boys on such occasions generally had the most time to 
spare, so Bill spent his holidays in Nancy's pen, scraping 



S6 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

and piling up the supernumerary contents, anci putting in 
fresh litter. Of course his boots got so muddy, that, when 
going in to meals, the girls regarded him as an object of 
suspicion ; and when he happened to stand too close to a 
hot stove, especially when his clothes were damp, the exhala- 
tions became so pungent as very justly to expose him to 
the most damaging imputations. But he was proof against 
all the slurs thrown out at such times. If his boots had 
been in the pig-pen, his heart had been there also. 

Uncle Benny required all that Nancy consumed to be 
charged against her in a separate account, so that the 
boys should know whether she really did eat her head off, 
as her namesake in the house had spitefully predicted she 
would. There was no getting for her even a mouthful of 
kitchen-slop ; Miss Nancy had been so stung by having 
her name undervalued, that she was careful to throw all 
to her father's great long-legged hogs. But as a sort of 
equivalent for this manifestation of hostility, the boys picked 
up numerous odds and ends about the place for Nancy's 
benefit, such as they had never before thought of saving. 
When they saw a stray cabbage-leaf or turnip lying about, 
or a nubbin of corn, they put it into their pockets until they 
had a chance of giving it to her. Though it was still cold 
weather, with no green things about, yet they were often 
surprised at the variety of trifles they could find when thus 
on the lookout for them. Between these three caterers, 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 87 

Nancy had quite a luxurious time of it, even though spite- 
fully cut off from the run of the kitchen. 

Uncle Benny watched the behavior of the boys toward 
their new pets, and as the winter wore away became more 
and more gratified at the beneficial influence which the 
care of them was exercising on their habits. He considered 
it a great gain for a very small outlay. Nor did he fail 
to remind Mr. Spangler of the important fact, going into 
particulars which compelled him to admit that these little 
concessions had done the boys much good. It was a hard 
thing for him to give up the convictions of a lifetime, but 
he did nevertheless, — though sometimes winding up with 
a request that the old man would wait till the year's end, 
and see how the experiment would result. 

As Bill was devoted to Nancy, he was up in advance 
of the other boys, and off to her pen to give her her break- 
fast. One morning early in March, on reaching it in the 
performance of this pleasing duty, he was confounded by 
seeing ten young pigs in the hogshead. There was too 
much grunting and squealing around Nancy to permit her 
to hear Bill's step as he came up to the pen, nor did she 
happen to see him. So he stood for a moment, surprised 
beyond anything within his memory, gazing at the joyful 
sight, then turned back to the house, routed the other boys 
out of their beds, and ran shouting up to the girls with the 
glorious news that Nancy had ten pigs I No news-boy 



&S FARMING FOR BOYS. 

ever cried out the tidings of a great victory over the 
Rebels with such vokible glee, as when Bill ran stamping 
down stairs with the news. He thundered even at Uncle 
Benny's door, then opened it, and told him also what had 
taken place. 

Of course it created a great sensation, and very soon the 
whole family was gathered around Nancy's pen. There was 
no denying the thing ; Nancy had brought the boys ten 
pigs, — nine plump little fellows and a runt. Even Mr. 
Spangler came out before he got breakfast to see if it could 
be so, and if the pigs looked any better than a litter which 
had fallen to his lot the week before. 

As to the boys, they were pleased beyond measure. Nan- 
cy came grunting and sniffing toward the spectators, as if 
the matter v/ere a great relief to her also, and behaving as 
though a good warm breakfast, with plenty of it, would not 
come amiss. Altogether it was a noisy and lively scene, and 
appeared to give general satisfaction. But its real interest 
lay in the single fact that Nancy belonged to the boys. Had 
she been one of Spangler's drove, no one would have felt 
much concern about the matter but herself It also went 
far toward establishing another point, — that when the boys 
of a farmer's family are permitted to interest themselves in 
any little independent operation of their own, the family it- 
self is pretty certain to become interested also. 

That very day the boys were to quit school for the winter ; 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 89 

SO they hurried off to the school-house to spread the news 
among their fellow-pupils. There was great interest as well 
as great envy among them, for only one or two of the whole 
number had been allowed by their parents any privilege of 
the kind. The good luck of the Spanglers created so much 
anxiety to imitate them that there sprang up a demand for 
pigs that seemed likely to exhaust the entire litter. It can 
hardly be doubted that, if Nancy herself had been trotted 
out into the school-room with her squeaking brood, the boys 
would have laid violent hands on all of them, and there v/ould 
have been so general a scramble for pigs as to send her home 
bereft even of the little runt. Bill was quite carried away by 
his enthusiasm, so far forgetting himself as to say that Nan- 
cy had eleven, instead of only ten. This, however, was an 
accidental slip, and occurred when the teacher called him up 
to know what was the meaning of the buzzing and excitement 
and inattention to their lessons which was shown by the 
scholars, as he discovered they had something in their heads 
that morning more interesting than reading or ciphering. 

When the litter was three weeks old. Uncle Benny told 
Bill he must take out the runt pig and bring it up by hand, 
or it would surely die, and that would be a loss of at least 
ten dollars. The other pigs, which were fat and strong, 
fought it away from Nancy so that it got scarcely anything 
He said that even the runt pig of a litter ought to have a 
chance, as well as the boys. He liked to see fair play all 



90 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

round. Bill accordingly took it away and kept it by itself, 
He fed it on the kitchen swill, which, having been cooked, 
was just what it needed, and nursed it up so faithfully, that 
in the end it turned out as fine as any in the litter, while he 
learned the useful fact that a poor dwindling pig could be 
saved and made a profitable animal by the exercise of a little 
care. 

Before the middle of March the pigeons had laid and 
hatched. When it was ascertained that most of the nests 
contained young ones. Uncle Benny directed the boys to let 
the birds out by removing one of the slats, and adjusting it 
like a pendulum, so that it could be readily swung back again 
into its place, and the opening closed. They began by open- 
ing this swinging door-way an hour or two before sunset, as 
at that time of day the pigeons would be certain to fly only 
a short distance from home, even if without young ones. 
They accordingly went out, took a short flight, as if merely 
to practice their wings, and all returned in good time. After 
a while the door was opened at noon, and, the pigeons being 
found to be thoroughly domesticated, the front lattice was 
removed altogether, so that they could go and come when 
they pleased. The fact of their having young ones to feed 
made their stay a permanent one. This relieved the boys 
from much care, and, the birds having the range of the whole 
farm, they obtained in the fields so large a portion of their 
food as to make a perceptible diminution of expenses. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 9I 

After May had come, the boys set about planting the two 
acres of corn which they were to have for themselves. Span- 
gler did not exactly like this part of the arrangement, but 
there was no getting out of it now, as by this time the pigs 
and pigeons had consumed so much corn and meal that he 
had good reason to expect a loss unless he gave the boys a 
chance to replace them. Uncle Benny selected a field close 
to the barn-yard, that had been sadly neglected. But there 
was no manure for it, as Spangler had emptied the barn-yard 
for his own crops. But he generously gave them the privi- 
lege of taking from it such scrapings as they could find. 
They accordingly went a manure-hunting with a will. Tak- 
ing hoe, and rake, and shovel, they cleaned out at least twenty 
holes and corners where considerable deposits had been care- 
lessly left for several years, — all, therefore, nicely rotted. 
They poked their hoes under the barn and drew forth surpris- 
ing quantities. They took up the loose planks under where 
the cows and horses had been standing, and turned out exten- 
sive deposits of the very best quality. Spangler was amazed 
at the extent of these collections, and now began to fear that 
he was likely to lose manure as well as corn. It seemed impos- 
sible for him to entertain any other idea than that whatever 
he gave to his boys, or allowed them to make for themselves, 
was so much loss to himself 

The supply being scanty, they were unable to give the 
land a good broad-cast dressing, yet they had enough to 



92 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

afford an extra quantity to each hill. This they applied faith- 
fully and well, Uncle Benny constantly enjoining it on them 
to feed high, — that the corn required feeding as much as 
the pigs. He sometimes even thought that they could have 
done nearly as well by putting all the manure on one acre 
instead of two, as in that case they would have had only half 
as much ground to attend to, with a strong likelihood of har- 
vesting quite as much corn. But this was the beginning only, 
and it was not to be expected that things would go on as 
bravely at the first attempt as they would afterwards. In 
reality, the boys had wanted more than two acres, thus adopt- 
ing, as if by instinct, the common error of undertaking too 
much. Like many others, they supposed a man's crops were 
in proportion to the quantity of ground he cultivated, not in 
proportion to the thoroughness with which he enriched it. 
But Uncle Benny knew otherwise, and that two acres would 
be quite as much as they could manage. As it turned out, 
there were more than they had the means of manuring prop- 
erly. 

" I don't see why you want this ground made so rich, Un- 
cle Benny," said Joe Spangler, when they had finished plant- 
ing. " Father never puts as much on his corn as we have put 
on this, and yet you say it ought to have more. It is very 
tedious having to handle so much." 

The old man drew a newspaper from his pocket, and read 
to his audience the following paragraph: — 



FARMING FOR BOYS, 



93 



"Thirty years ago the farmers of the Genesee and 
Mohawk valleys assisted each other, in the winter, to cart 
their manures on the ice, so that when the rivers broke 
up they should get rid of them, and not be compelled to 
move their stables ; now, in those very valleys, barn-yard 
manure is worth two dollars or more per cord, and is so 
much needed, that, without its use, a crop of wheat cannot 
be raised which would compensate the grower. The average 
crop of those valleys has sunk within thirty years from thirty 
bushels to the acre to less than fifteen, while the whole 
average of the State of New York is less than eleven ; 
that of Pennsylvania has sunk to eleven and a quarter, and 
that of Ohio from thirty-five bushels to eleven and a half. 
Massachusetts can no longer raise grain enough to support 
her manufacturing population, without import from else- 
where ; and with all these facts prominently before them, 
many farmers in these rich valleys have actually cut gutters 
from their barn-yards across the public road, to let the liquid 
manure run away. This may be considered cleanliness, but 
it certainly is not economy." 

"There," said the old man, "you see what the majority 
of the New York farmers did thirty years ago, and what 
has been the result. No manure, no crop." 

" But," replied Tony, " when you were telling us about 
the election, I thought you said the majority were always 
right." 



94 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

"Ah," rejoined the old man, "that's a great mistake. 
Majorities are sometimes actually blind to the truth. When 
Noah told the people there was a terrible flood coming, 
there was a great majority who would n't believe a word 
of it. It was the minority that were in luck that time. So 
will you be in your future practice, if you turn over a new 
leaf on the manure question." 

" Blame the thing ! " cried Bill, with sudden impatience, 
kicking away from him the dead body of a huge cat, " it 's 
been in my way all day ! " 

"Now, Bill," said Uncle Benny, "bring the cat here 
again ; I '11 put it out of your way. That cat is manure, 
and must not be wasted." 

They were then standing at the end of a corn-row, on 
the outside of the field. Bill went after the cat, and, lifting 
up the animal with his hoe, brought it up to the old man. 

''Now," said he, "plant that cat." 

As directed. Bill took up the grains of corn from the 
last hill, dug a hole some ten inches deep, in which he placed 
the animal, then covered it with earth, on which the grains 
were replaced and again covered, as before. There was 
a good deal of laughing and shouting among the boys while 
this was going on ; but when the thing was done, Joe looked 
up to the old man, and inquired, "What's the use of that. 
Uncle Benny ? " 

"Why," said he, "you put a small shovelful of manure 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 95 

in each hill, but that cat is equal to four shovelfuls. Besides, 
Joe, it is a clear saving. If the cat had been allowed to 
dry up on top of the ground, its richness would have gone 
to waste ; and you must learn never to waste anything, 
for it is by the saving of small things, no matter what they 
may be, that men grow rich. Now watch this corn -hill, 
and see how the roots will draw up strength and vigor from 
that decaying carcass. It will be the best hill on the whole 
field. I wish we had a cat for every one of them." 

" But does anybody else plant cats .'' " inquired Bill. 

The old man again produced a newspaper, and read to 
them an interesting statement by Mr. Edgar A. Clifton, of 
Staten Island, showing how richly some such experiments 
made by him had resulted. 

When selecting his particular piece of ground lor a corn- 
field, Uncle Benny had had an eye to the adjoining barn- 
yard. As already mentioned, Mr. Spangler had caused its 
fluid contents to be discharged into the public road, nor 
was there any likelihood of his going to the slight trouble 
necessary to prevent such wholesale waste. Uncle Benny 
quietly undertook it for him, by opening a new outlet di- 
rectly into the cornfield. As Spangler had tried his hand 
at wasting, the old man would try his at saving. The ground 
was so situated as to make this the work of only an hour 
or two. It was done so effectually, that not a drop ran 
to waste as formerly. On the contrary, whenever a heavy 



96 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

summer thunder-shower fell, there could be seen a torrent 
of dark liquor rushing through the barn-yard, and pouring 
away into the cornfield, diffusing itself over at least half 
an acre. There were no means of causing it to irrigate 
a greater surface. The rain diluted the concentrated liquor 
down to the exact strength for the corn roots to drink in 
and stimulate the plants. 

This ingenious bit of engineering gave rise to no remark 
from Spangler beyond his saying that he was glad to see 
the barn-yard so much drier than formerly. The old man 
had in fact drained it effectually. There could be no 
denying that it produced remarkable results. Into whatever 
part of the cornfield this wash of the barn-yard was carried 
by the spring rains, it bore with it so stimulating a vigor that 
there the corn came popping up out of the ground in ad- 
vance of all other places. In addition to coming up earlier, 
the corn was evidently stronger and healthier, presenting 
a deeper tinge of green throughout the season. It refused 
to turn yellow under a succession of cold days and colder 
nights, though all the other plants became pale and spind- 
ling. Many of the hills showed double the number of ears, 
that the others produced. 

The boys could not fail to notice these things from the 
start. The weeds came in to share in this general feast 
of fat things. As this had been a neglected spot, so there 
the weeds had been allowed, for many years, to grow and 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 97 

ripen their seeds. These seeds, now fed by ten times their 
usual supply of nourishment, sprang up rapidly and thickly 
in proportion. Every dormant germ seemed to put on 
vitality under the quickening influence. Varieties now 
vegetated which had not been seen on that place for many 
years. These numerous pests had evidently started with 
a determination to dispute with the corn for undisturbed 
possession of the ground. Had they encountered no op- 
position, they would have quickly smothered the whole 
crop. 

But as they multiplied, so did the labors of the boys 
increase in subduing them. Uncle Benny was compelled 
to spend much of his time in keeping this crop clean. He 
had set out to raise corn, not weeds. Moreover, he had a 
stake in it as well as the boys. But while working with 
his hoe around the corn-hills, he was never tired of admiring 
the surprising difference between the half-acre upon which 
the barn-yard had been emptied and that of the remainder 
of the field. The latter was good, but the former was mag- 
nificent. It maintained its superiority throughout the season, 
the roots striking into the earth so widely and deeply as 
to hold up the stalks in a heavy August storm which pros- 
trated half of the others. 

It afforded, moreover, too striking an illustration of the 
theory and practice of applying manure, to be overlooked. 
The boys, frequently working in the cornfield, came to \\n 
7 



98 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

dcrstand clearly how it was that a plant grew almost wholly 
by virtue of the liquids that were supplied to its roots, not 
by merely undecomposed manure. They knew well that 
rain-water was a good thing, but here they saw that, when 
the barn-yard extracts were mingled with the rain, the 
mixture was the true food for plants. So clearly were 
they made to comprehend this formula, that they regretted 
a hundred times their inability to bring a larger portion 
of the cornfield within convenient distance of the barn- 
yard. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 99 



CHAPTER VII. 

Visit to a Model Farm. — The Story of Robert Allen. — How to 
RAISE Horseradish. — No such Thing as Luck. 

^ I ^HE disposition to go ahead which the boys displayed, 
■^ as well as their aptitude for learning, were strong 
encouragements with Uncle Benny to continue his fatherly 
care over them, — to teach them that it was impossible to 
earn genuine manhood except by steadily and industriously 
serving out their boyhood. He found his own interest in 
all their little concerns insensibly increasing, and noticed 
also that even Spangler himself took constant observation 
of their doings, though he seldom gave a word of en- 
couragement, but rather doubted whether their labors 
would ever pay a profit. He estimated results by their 
money product, not by their moral and educational value. 

On the afternoon of a fine early-summer day the old 
man obtained permission to take them with him to a 
farm some two miles off, for the purpose of showing them 
how a really good farmer managed his business. The 
boys had often heard of this place, and had many times 
walked by it, but had never ventured up to the house or 
over the grounds. It belonged to a Mr. Allen, and con- 
sisted of sixty acres. The history of this man was so 



lOO FARMING FOR BOYS. 

remarkable, that Uncle Benny, thinking it afforded an 
example that ought to be impressed on the minds of the 
boys, took occasion, as they walked leisurely along, to re- 
late it to them. 

Mr. Allen was one of a large family of children, his 
father being a laboring man, so poor that he was glad to 
have them placed out whenever a situation could be found 
for them. No great pains were taken to see that the 
places were good ones, where a tolerable share of school- 
ing would be allowed, or where they would be likely to 
receive a thorough agricultural education. The father was 
too poorly off in the world to be very nice in choosing 
places ; besides, his children had had so indifferent a train- 
ing at home, that whoever took them was quite certain 
that, if they were ever to do any good, they must be 
taught how to do it. 

This one, Robert, was accordingly placed with a very 
penurious man, who allowed him very little time, even in 
winter, for schooling. His very name had a suspicious 
sound, — it was John Screwme. The poor boy was ex- 
cessively fond of study, and had luckily learned to read 
well before he left home. He accordingly read everything 
he found about the house, and even carried a book of some 
kind in his bosom whenever he went ploughing. This he 
lead and reread when he paused to rest his horses, seek- 
ing to carry in his memory, while following in the furrow, 



FARMING FOR BOYS. TOl 

the information he had obtained. It was so when not at 
work, — the same passionate desire to obtain knowledge 
occupying his time and thoughts. But his master's house 
was a very poor school in which to learn, with very few 
books or papers about. He therefore borrowed from the 
neighboring boys all that they were able to lend him. 

But this supply was insufficient for his wants, as he had 
become a rapid reader. He had the great good sense to 
understand that it was important for him to qualify himself, 
while young, for the business he was to pursue in after 
life, — that of farming. Hence he sought for books on 
agriculture and natural history, but few of these could be 
obtained. 

His master was a widower, with an only child, a 
daughter, whose temperament was directly the opposite of 
her father's. She was as fond of cultivating flowers as 
Robert was of reading books. Her father had indulged 
her by subscribing for an agricultural paper, which came 
once a month, and which cost only half a dollar a year. 
It was the cheapest of all, and therefore he took it. This 
Robert devoured as soon as it came, but it was far from 
being sufficient for him. The girl also wanted more ; but 
as neither of them had any money with which to subscribe 
for "other papers, Robert undertook the setting of traps for 
muskrats, rabbits, and moles, and succeeded in catching 
great numbers of them. The girl took off the skins and 



I02 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

dried them, and Robert walked with his spoils to Trenton, 
and sold them to the storekeepers. He thus raised money 
enough to pay for an agricultural paper which came every 
week. From the reading of this he derived so much in- 
formation, that he never afterwards permitted the subscrip- 
tion to run out. 

Among other useful things, it taught him how to manage 
bees. So he bought a colony, and, being extremely ob- 
servant and careful, he gradually multiplied them until the 
product amounted to twenty or thirty dollars every year. 
His master made no objection to his doing this, as the bees 
consumed only such food as would have been wasted had 
they not gathered it from the fields and flowers. In this 
bee culture the daughter, Alice, assisted him very materially, 
giving him prompt notice of a swarm coming out, and some- 
times even assisting him in getting them safely into a new 
hive. Several times, from the profits of his honey, he was 
able to present her a handsome book at Christmas, and, 
on more than one occasion, a new bonnet. His bees thus 
made it a very easy matter to pay for his weekly paper, 
as well as to keep himself supplied with numerous new 
works on his favorite studies. 

As might be expected, such a boy was always observant 
of whatever was going on around him, — of everything from 
which he could get a new practical hint. Having on one 
occasion gone to Trenton to dispose of his honey in th<». 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 



103 



market, after he had pocketed his little roll of notes, he 
strolled leisurely through the long building, from end to 
end, to see what others had brought there to sell, as well 




-/i-yp^OfiS^E.SC' 



as to learn what prices they were getting. But he saw 
nothing that attracted his attention particularly, until, on 
coming out at the lower end, he noticed an old man with 
a very rude machine resembling that of a perambulating 



i04 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

scissors-grinder, having his foot on the treadle, with which 
he was driving some kind of a mill. He stood quite a long 
while looking at the machine, endeavoring to ascertain what 
the old man was doing. While thus standing, several 
women and children came up in succession, with little cups 
in their hands, into which the old man measured a gill or 
two of a white, pulpy preparation, for which each buyer 
paid him a few cents. It struck him that the old man must 
be grinding this pulp ; so, coming close up to the machine, 
he at once perceived a strong odor of horseradish. It was 
this the old fellow was grinding ; and Robert saw that he 
had customers for it as fast as it could be produced. He 
had seen in the machine-shops about Trenton many great 
machines, but this was truly a grater. 

Now he understood all about raising horseradish, and 
knew that it could be grown more readily even than 
potatoes ; but never having seen it anywhere except on his 
employer's table, he had no idea that a large quantity could 
be sold, and hence was greatly surprised at finding how 
quickly it went off in the market. He immediately inquired 
of the old man how much he gave for the roots, of which 
he had a bushel or two in baskets near him. He replied, 
two dollars a hundred for the smaller ones, and three or 
four for the largest ; adding, that he would buy as many 
as he could bring him. 

The boy was so elated at this unexpected discovery of 



FARMING FOR BOYS. IO5 

something that was exactly in his own hne, that he asked 
no more questions. But that evening he looked over all 
the old numbers of the agricultural papers in the house, 
to see if they contained any information about the cultiva- 
tion of horseradish, what was the best soil, whether there 
was a superior variety, or any other instructions to guide 
him in undertaking what he shrewdly thought he could 
make a profitable operation. He found a dozen articles 
on the subject, which contained the experience of practical 
growers, with minute directions how to plant and cultivate, 
as well as how to harvest, a large crop, and where to find 
a market for it. He had seen these articles before ; but 
as his mind was not interested in the subject at the time, 
he gave them only a passing notice. But now that his 
attention had been directed to it, he discovered in them 
an almost priceless value. They were exactly what he 
wanted, and he read them over and over. He made up 
his mind that, if he had inquired of every farmer in the 
township how to cultivate so simple a thing as horseradish 
on a large scale, not one could have told him half as much 
as did these old numbers of the agricultural papers he had 
been preserving. 

Here Uncle Benny took occasion to remind the boys that 
it was impossible for a man to be a really good, progressive 
farmer, without not only having a full supply of the best 
agricultural papers, but diligently studying their contents, 



I06 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

as well as preserving the numbers for future reference. He 
said they were full of sound advice and instruction, and 
kept their readers informed of all the new seeds, plants, 
machines, and breeds of animals, as they were either dis- 
covered or introduced. It was only by having his eyes and 
ears open to these things, that a farmer could get along 
successfully, and keep up with the best. 

He went on to tell them that Robert, discovering that 
a deep, rich soil was the best for horseradish, immediately 
made up his mind that the very place for him to plant it 
would be by the side of a long ditch in the meadow, which 
had been cleaned out that very fall. As the ditch-bank 
could not be used for any crop, — at least his employer 
was not the man to put it to any useful purpose, — Robert 
easily obtained his permission to plant it with horseradish. 
He would have refused anything that he could use himself 
As may be supposed, Robert thought of this matter the 
whole winter, and was impatient for spring to come round, 
that he might make a beginning. At Christmas he went 
to Trenton and engaged from the old man in the market 
as many of the lower ends of the horseradish roots as he 
would need. On measuring the ditch-bank, by pacing it 
off, he found he could get in three rows containing alto- 
gether two thousand roots, and so contracted for that num- 
ber at five dollars per thousand. The old man had been 
in the habit of throwing away these " tails," as there was 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 107 

no Steady demand for them, and was glad enough to find 
a customer. 

When April came, Robert put the ditch-bank in order 
with his own hands, doing most of the work by moonlight, 
and then actually planting the roots by moonlight also, as 
his employer would not spare him even a half-day for him- 
self The roots were about five inches long and were 
planted in rows. Holes about eight inches deep were 
made in the ground with a sharp stick, into which the 
roots were dropped, thus leaving them a few inches below 
the surface. It was a long and tedious job for a boy like 
him to undertake and go through with, but he was full 
of ambition to do something for himself, and this was about 
the only chance he saw. Then during the whole growing 
season he kept the ground clear of weeds, and frequently 
stirred it up on the surface, all which greatly promoted the 
growth^ of the plants. They threw up^such luxuriant tops, 
that by midsummer they shaded most of the ground and 
smothered a large portion of the weeds. All this attention 
to his horseradish bed was bestowed at odd times. 

But he was well rewarded for his labor, as at the close of 
the season he had a fine crop of roots. They were so large, 
and there were so many of them, that he was obliged to hire 
a man to dig them up and wheel them to the house. His 
employer had paid no more attention to the crop during the 
summer than he had to Robert's bees ; but when he came to 



108 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

see the splendid result of his labor, he was astonished at his 
success, and told AHce to help him wash and trim them up 
for market. This she was willing enough to do, as Robert's 
tastes and hers were so similar that they had long been close 
friends, ever ready to oblige each other. By devoting one 
or two evenings to the task, the roots were made ready for 
the Trenton market. There Robert was allowed to take 
them, and there, sure enough, he found the old man at work 
in the market-house with his machine, still grinding out 
horseradish for a large circle of customers. He sold his 
crop for sixty dollars, and was so delighted with his success 
that he treated himself to a new coat. 

He also bought for Alice, in return for the help she had 
given him, a neat little dressing-box, containing trifles which 
he thought would please her, for there was not a particle of 
meanness in Robert's disposition. While he was ambitious, 
and industrious, and saving, he was far from being stingy. 
Besides, he had already learned that pleasure was reciprocal, 
and that no one feels it who does not at the same time com- 
municate it ; for to be really pleased, one must be pleasing to 
others. As he saw that Alice was gratified by his thus think- 
ing of her, he was abundantly gratified himself. 

This purchase of a new coat was a clear saving to Mr. 
Screwme. He was pleased in turn, thinking how much he 
had saved, and readily gave Robert permission to use the 
ditch-bank as long as he desired, as his horseradish farm 



FARMING FOR BOYS. lOQ 

Thus the industrious fellow was encouraged to look ahead, 
and a bit of waste land was in a fair way of being turned 
into a productive one, by the shrewdness and energy of a 
mere boy. Taking all the land on the farm, there was not an 
acre that produced more clear profit than this, though the 
rest had had twice as much labor in proportion bestowed up- 
on it. 

Still, the owner did not take the hint thus given to him, 
and try what could be done on a larger scale. The reason 
was, that raising horseradish was not regular farming, — it 
was something out of the usual line, — well enough for a boy 
to amuse himself with, but not the kind of farming he had 
been Drought up to. Another reason was, the neighbors 
would ridicule him. In truth he was not a wise man, for 
wisdom is not the mere seeing of things that are actually 
before us, but consists in discerning and comprehending those 
which are likely to come to pass. He would have thought it 
all right for him to plant an acre of cabbages, because it was 
done by others ; but an acre of what he considered a new 
farm product, such as horseradish, was too great a novelty, 
though he saw that the crop paid well. Nor was he sufficient- 
ly wise to see that the time was coming when a plant so 
easily cultivated would be grown upon fields as large as any 
of his. 

Thus Robert was left in undisturbed possession. He 
started the second year under better auspices, as, in trimming 



no FARMING FOR BOYS. 

his roots for market, he had cut off and saved the lower ends 
for another planting. This would save him ten dollars, be- 
sides affording him not only better "sets" than he had begun 
with, but twice as many. He thought that he would double 
his crop by planting both sides of the ditch. On asking per- 
mission of his employer, he readily gave it, adding that, if 
he chose, he might plant the bottom of the ditch also. * 

The boy's ambition seemed to have won some little sympa- 
thy from his master ; for, when planting-time came the next 
spring, he actually assisted Robert by ploughing up the 
ground and putting it in order for him. Then, as Robert 
made the holes in the ground, he called on Alice to drop the 
roots into them, as she was quite willing to do. With this 
help he got on finely with his double crop. But he was 
obliged to hire a man occasionally during the summer to 
keep the ground in order, as he knew it was never worth 
while to set a plant in the ground and then neglect it. But 
he had the money with which to pay for such labor. Still, it 
cost very little, as to his ditch-banks was devoted all the spare 
time he had. His bees gave him no such trouble, as they 
took care of themselves. The better preparation of the 
ground caused a quicker and larger growth of the plants, 
and of course there was a better yield than that of the first 
season. He sold the second crop for more than a hundred 
dollars, and could have disposed of three times the quantity 
That season his honey sold for over twenty dollars. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. Ill 

Most of this money he saved, spending very httle except 
for books and papers, all which he studied so assiduously, that, 
by the time he came of age, he was one of the best-informed 
young men in the neighborhood, with a respectable library 
about him. He was a fine, handsome-looking fellow, of pleas- 
ant manners, steady habits, and, besides all this, had more 
than four hundred dollars, all made from the profits of his 
bees and horseradish. 

" You see, boys," said Uncle Benny, " how much can be 
accomplished, from the very smallest beginnings, by a boy 
who has ambition, good sense, and industry. But all these 
acquisitions, especially the mental ones, come froQi applica- 
tion. It is the price that every man must pay for them, and 
they cannot be had without it. To expect good results of 
any kind without application, would be as absurd as for you 
to hope for a crop of corn without having planted a 
hill." 

The old man went on with his story. He told them that, 
when Robert came of age, he was able to manage the farm 
far better than his employer had ever done. He continued to 
do the principal work until he was twenty-three years old, 
at which time his employer died, and a year after that he and 
Alice were married. 

"Now," continued the old man, "the farm we are going to 
see is the same one on which Robert Allen began life as a 
poor boy. All this happened years before you were born, so 



112 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

that you will see great changes from the condition of the 
farm as it was in the time of Robert's boyhood." 

The boys listened to this history with profound attention. 
It ran so nearly parallel to the current of their own thoughts 
that they could not fail to be struck with it. They had seen 
Mr. Allen very often, and two of his sons had been their 
companions at school ; but they had never before had the 
least inkling that so wealthy a farmer had sprung from so 
small a beginning. The farm, therefore, as they approached 
it, acquired a new interest in their eyes, and they surveyed 
with increased attention whatever belonged to it. 

A few steps farther brought them to the gate, which opened 
into a lawn of moderate size, in which were pear and apple 
trees many years old, now gorgeous in a profusion of bloom. 
These living monuments of the thoughtfulness of a former 
generation had been carefully trimmed of all the dead wood, 
and their trunks had been whitewashed. Indeed, the fences, 
the out-houses, and every spot or thing to which whitewash 
was appropriate, shone out gayly and cheerfully in a coat of 
brilliant white. A dozen large stones, that lay about in the 
edge of a luxuriant border near the house, had been brushed 
in the same way, presenting a beautiful contrast with the 
rich green of the early springing grass. Even the projecting 
stump of an old apple-tree, that had once stood in the lawn, 
held up its slowly decaying head in all the glory of a similar 
co\ erino:. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 13 

The stone dwelling-house, evidently very old, but very 
comfortable, had shared in the same beautifying application 
Its ancient doors, and sashes, and shutters had been replaced 
by new ones of modern finish. For the old roof there had 
been substituted a new one, with projecting eaves and orna- 
mental brackets. An ample piazza at the front, built in cot- 
tage style, was clustered over with honeysuckles, from whose 
opening flowers a thousand bees were gathering honey. 
Some architect, skilled in the beautiful art of transforming 
an old farm-house into an elegant modern cottage, had evi- 
dently touched this venerable homestead with his renovating 
hand, engrafting on its uncouth outlines not only symmetry, 
but even elegance. The whole aspect of the premises struck 
the visitors with admiration of their trimness and cleanliness, 
while a more practised eye would at once set down the owner 
as belonging to the higher order of farmers. 

As they turned a corner of the house on their way to the 
rear, they were met by Mr. Allen and his two sons, the school- 
mates of the Spanglers. Greetings being cordially exchanged, 
the visitors were politely invited into the house ; but Uncle 
Benny replied that he had brought his boys with him to see 
what there was out of doors, and that he would like them to 
learn for themselves how a good farmer managed his business. 

"Ah," replied Mr. Allen, "it requires a man superior in 
one way or another, to be a really good farmer." 

"But," rejoined Uncle Benny, "men are estimated by their 



I 14 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

success in life, and, by common consent, success is held to be 
evidence of superiority. You are known as the luckiest man 
in the township." 

" But I don't believe in luck. Uncle Benny," replied 
Mr. Allen. " It was not luck that made me what I am, 
but God's blessing on my labors, from the time I was 
a poor boy up to the present hour." 

They walked forward to the barn-yard. The fences 
round it, and all the adjacent buildings, had been newly 
whitewashed. There were gutters which carried away 
from every roof the rains that fell upon it, and led 
them into a low spot a long distance off, to which the 
pigs had access as a wallow. The barn-yard was shaped 
like an earthen pie-dish, lowest at the centre, so that no 
liquid manure could run away. The bottom had been 
scooped out and furnished with a coat of clay nearly 
six inches thick, so that no liquor could soak away into 
the ground. There was but a single outlet for the fluid, 
and that led into a capacious cistern, connected with a 
pump, by which the contents were raised into buckets 
and used on the garden close at hand. This had been 
in operation only a year or two ; but Mr. Allen described 
the result on his garden products as almost incredible, 
and he should use the pump and cistern more frequently 
than ever. "This liquor," he said, "is what a plant lives 
and grows fat on, just as a pig grows on what you give 



FARMING FOR BOYS. II5 

to him. If I were able to manure my whole farm with 
these juices of the barn-yard, I would saturate the ma- 
nure-heap until the water came away colorless, and spread 
it over the ground." 

As the Spangler boys heard this, they looked up to 
Uncle Benny in a very knowing way, evidently recog- 
nizing the words of this excellent farmer as conveying 
the identical lesson the old man had taught them at 
their own squalid barn-yard. 

There were a dozen head of cattle in the yard, fine, 
portly cows, of quiet mien and buttery promise. They 
had all been born within its enclosure, and had never 
been allowed to go beyond its limits. During the grow- 
ing season all their food was cut fresh from the fields, 
and brought to them regularly three times a day. This 
arrangement cost additional care and money, but it saved 
some hundreds of dollars' worth of fences, while it trebled 
the products of the barn-yard. It saved acres of clover 
from being trampled down and wasted, thus enabling 
the land to feed double the number of cows. The abun- 
dant yield of butter found a quick market at Trenton. 

From this spot they were taken to the pig-pen, and 
there they saw the Suffolk and Chester County breeds, 
all in clean quarters, with warm shelters covered from 
the rain, the outer part of the enclosure strewed with 
an ample supply of cornstalks and other litter, which 



Il6 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

they were rapidly grinding up into the most valuable 
kind of fertilizer. Bill Spangler, having a particular 
home-feeling for the pig-pen, examined the animals in 
this enclosure with the greatest care. The others were 
equally interested. Though they noticed how complete 
the pen was, and how superior were all its arrangements 
to their own, yet, after a long and close survey, Bill could 
not help exclaiming to the Allen boys, " There 's no sow 
here equal to our Nancy ! " 



FARMING FOR BOYS. II7 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Never kiil ihe Birds. — Pets of all Kinds. — What Underdraimng 
MEANS. — More Horseradish. — Encouraging the Boys. 

1~^R0M this point of observation they moved off to the 
■*- garden, where they found everything in such nice 
order that it amazed and dehghted Uncle Benny, who did 
not fail to point out to his pupils all the strong features 
of its management, comparing them with the miserably 
neglected condition of their own garden. Every fruit-tree 
had an old crook-necked squash hung upon it, far out of 
harm's way, pierced with a hole for a bird's nest. Mr. 
Allen evidently had a pride in this abundant supply of 
accommodation for the birds, for, addressing himself to the 
Spanglers, he called their especial attention to the subject. 
" Do you see, boys," said he, " how the birds are building 
in all these squashes ? They are my journeymen insect- 
eaters. Do you know that these birds destroy millions of 
worms and bugs and millers, which prey on the fruits and 
flowers of the farm and garden } I could not do without 
them, as, if I had no birds, I should have no fruit. I have 
tried it for myself, and it has been tried more extensively 
in European countries, where they attend to small matters 
of this kind much more attentively than we do here. Why, 



Il8 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

Tony, you know what the wire-worm is. Well, in a single 
department in France that worm has been known to destroy 
three successive harvests, each worth nearly a million of 
dollars. In portions of Germany, other insects have de- 
stroyed immense forests of large trees. One of the kings 
of Prussia once ordered all the sparrows killed because they 
ate his cherries ; but two years afterwards he found his 
cherries and other fruits devoured by caterpillars. It was 
the same thing in Hungary, when the sparrows were gen- 
erally destroyed ; the insects, having no enemies, multiplied 
so fast that they consumed so much of the crops that laws 
were made forbidding the destruction of the bu'ds. We 
shall have the same ruin here if we allow our small birds 
to be killed as everybody is now killing them. If we are 
to do without birds, we must make up our minds to go 
without fruit. This is the reason why every tree in my 
garden has its bird's nest. My boys never shoot a bird, 
not even an owl, for an owl is one of the farmer's best 
friends, — better than a dozen cats about the barn. He 
is the sharpest mouse-trap that can be set, because he goes 
about after the mice, while the trap holds still until the 
mouse thinks proper to walk in. Even the common buzzard, 
that every fool shoots when he can, will eat up six thousand 
field mice annually, — and how much grain would that 
number consume, or how many apple-trees would they nib- 
ble to death ? No, no, boys, never kill the birds. Don't 



FARMING FOR BOYS. IIQ 

even drive them away, but coax them about you in flocks. 
It costs more to do without them than to have them." 

Most of this was news to the boys, as no one had taken 
pains to impress them with the value of birds to a farmer, 
except Uncle Benny, who had occasionally referred to the 
subject. But what they saw here was a practical lesson 
that had its effect, for when they went home, not having 
any squashes at hand, they hunted up a dozen deplorably 
old boots that had been kicking about Spangler's premises, 
and nailed them to the trees, thus bringing a new set of 
shabby things directly within everybody's view. However, 
it was the best they could do with the meagre means they 
possessed, and it showed a disposition to imitate good 
examples. It was found, however, that the birds were not 
well pleased with the smell of old leather. Though they 
repeatedly went in and out of the boots, evidently anxious 
for places in which to build their nests, yet only two or 
three took possession. Uncle Benny was not sorry, as the 
great ragged boots, hung where he could not fail to see 
them, were a constant eyesore to him ; and as soon as it 
was evident the birds refused to build in them, he had them 
all taken down. 

On coming out of the garden, Mr. Allen led them into 
the open yard in front of his carriage-house and corn- 
cribs. There was a great flock of pigeons picking up 
the remains of the noonday feeding which had been 



I20 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

thrown to them. The Spanglers were dehghted, and 
examined the pigeons attentively, but could not discover 
that they were any better than their own. The proprie- 
torship of pigs and pigeons had already produced the 
good effect of making them observant and critical, thus 
teaching them to compare one thing with another. 

"Now," said Mr. Allen to Uncle Benny, "these all be 
long to my boys. They began with only two pairs of 
birds, and you see to what they have grown." 

" How many of them do you sell every year ? " in- 
quired Tony of the Aliens, in a tone too low for the 
others to hear. 

" Thirty dollars' worth of squabs," he answered, " and 
some seasons a good many pairs of old birds, — besidesi 
what we eat up ourselves." 

" But who finds the corn .? " inquired Tony, bearing 
in mind the bargain which Spangler had imposed upon 
them when consenting to his boys procuring pigeons. 

"O," said he, "father finds it, but I'll show directly 
how we pay for it." 

In addition to the pigeons there was a large collection 
of fine poultry, with a dozen broods of different ages, 
some just hatched out, the little fellows running round 
the coops in which the mothers were confined. There 
was also a flock of turkeys moving slowly about, with 
all the gravity pecuHar to that bird. Uncle Benny made 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 121 

up his mind he had never seen a more inviting dinner- 
party than these would very soon make. 

From the poultry-yard they wandered all over the farm. 
Everything was kept in the nicest order. No unsightly 
hedgerow of weeds and briers fringed fences, nor was 
a broken post or rail to be seen. The fencing had been 
made in the best manner in the first place, and would 
therefore last a lifetime. The winter grain stood up thick 
and rank, showing that the ground was in good heart. 
The corn had been planted, and in fact all the urgent 
spring work had been done, Mr. Allen having so man- 
aged it as to be ahead with whatever he had undertaken. 
Great piles of manure, with marl intermixed, were scat- 
tered about several fields, ready to be used on crops that 
would be put in at a later day. The springing grass on 
the mowing ground showed that it had been top-dressed 
with manure the preceding fall, and that the grass roots 
had been all winter drinking up the rich juices which 
the rain and melting snow had extracted and carried 
down directly into their ever open mouths. Everything 
about the farm showed marks of its being in the hands 
of a thorough man, who, in addition to understanding 
his business, had an eye to neatness, taste, and economy. 

Uncle Benny was impressed with the completeness of 
all that he saw. • He called the attention of his pupils to 
the remarkable difference between the practice of Mr. 



122 FARMING FOR BOYS 

Allen and Mr. Spangler, stopping repeatedly to explain, 
and enter into minute particulars. The results were so 
manifestly superior to any they had witnessed at home, 
that they did not fail to appreciate them. The old man's 
effort was to make them understand why it was that 
results should differ so widely. He told them the soil 
of the two farms was exactly similar, one farm, naturally, 
being as good as the other. The difference was alto- 
gether in the mode of management. Mr. Allen manu- 
factured all the manure he could, and bought quantities 
of fertiHzers. He sold some hay, because he produced 
more than he could use, but his straw was all worked 
up on the farm. He was quite as likely to set fire to his 
dwelling-house as to burn a pile of corn-stalks. On the 
other hand, Mr. Spangler took no pains to accumulate 
manure, neither did he purchase any ; but even what 
he did collect was spoilt by the deluge of rains that 
carried off all its stimulating juices into the highway. 
As to selling hay, he had scarcely enough for his own 
use, while more than once he burnt up a whole crop of 
corn-stalks. Thus, while one farm was growing richer 
every year, the other was growing poorer. 

Presently they came to a beautiful meadow of at least 
ten acres, through the centre of which ran a wide ditch, 
with a lively stream of water in the bottom. As they came 
up to the bank the Spanglers observed an earthen pipe pro- 



FARMING FOR EOYS. 



123 



jecting from the opposite bank, and spouting forth a strong 
jet of water. Proceeding farther they noticed another, and 
then another still. In fact they saw them sticking out all 
along the course of the ditch, about thirty feet apart. Everv 




■"(^P 



!?©» 






1 







one of them was discharging more or less Vvater. As they 
had never seen such things before, Tony inquired what they 
were. 

"These are underdrains," replied Uncle Benny. "You 
know I showed the other day what surface-drains were, — 
now you see what underdraining is. Those pipes are called 
tiles." 



124 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

" But where does all the water come from that we see 
pouring out of them ? " inquired Joe. 

" Come from ? Why, it comes from everywhere, — above, 
below, and around the drains," replied Uncle Benny. 
" When a rain falls, it soaks its way down through the 
earth, that is, all that the earth don't require, and finds 
its way into the underdrains, and then runs off as you see. 
Then the water which rises from the springs under this 
meadow finds its way also into the drains, and is carried 
off like the surplus rain-water. If it were not for these 
drains the land would be so water-logged that nothing but 
wild grasses and aquatic plants would grow on it ; but 
now you see it is yielding the very finest kind of grass. 
If your father's meadow, now filled with ferns and skunk- 
root, were drained as this is, it would be quite as produc- 
tive." 

" Quite as good," added Mr. Allen. " This meadow was 
as foul and worthless as Mr. Spangler's when I began to 
underdrain. I never spent any money that paid me half 
as well as the money I have laid out in underdraining. It 
cost me about three hundred dollars to do this work, but 
the land is a thousand dollars the better for it, — in fact, it 
was good for nothing as it lay a few years ago. All the water 
you see pouring out of these drains was formerly retained 
in the ground. It is just so much more than the land 
required. Now it has exactly enough, and it is the difference 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 25 

between enough and too much that converts a meadow mto 
bog, or a bog into a meadow. 

" When I was a boy," he continued, "it was on the margin 
of this long ditch that I made the first attempt at farming 
for myself. It was a rough place then, Uncle Benny, and 
I had a hard row to hoe. My crop of horseradish from 
this ground was the beginning of my success in life. I 
made only a little money, it is true, but it was a great deal 
for a boy. I can see now that its value was not in the 
number of dollars I made, but in the stimulus it gave to 
my energies. It braced me up, it gave me confidence in 
my own powers, it taught me not only that I was able to 
do something for myself, but exactly how to do it. Still, 
it was very satisfactory to know that I was making money, 
young as I was. But I have never sought to make money 
merely for the love of it, but only that it might be used 
wisely and generously, — the only way in which it can be 
profitably expended. 

" Now, my lads," he continued, addressing himself to 
the boys, " I have heard of a youth who once picked up 
a guinea lying in the road. Ever afterwards, so the story 
goes, as he walked along he kept his eyes steadfastly fixed 
on the ground, in hopes of finding another, and in the 
course of a long life he did pick up at times a good 
amount of gold and silver. But all these days, as he 
was looking for gold, he saw not that heaven was bright 



126 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

above him, and nature beautiful around. He never once 
allowed his eyes to look up from the mud and filth in 
which he sought the treasure, and when he died, a rich 
old man, he only knew this fair earth of ours as a dirty 
road in which to pick up money as you walk along. 
Boys, you were not made for a pursuit so degrading as 
this. Remember it when your turn comes." 

" But," added Uncle Benny, " if you found the culti- 
vation of horseradish so profitable, why did you abandon 
it.?" 

" Bless you. Uncle Benny," he replied, " I have never 
quitted it from the day I set the first root into the ground 
up to the present hour. On the contrary, I have enlarged 
my operations in that line perhaps a hundred-fold. Come 
this way and see what we are doing." 

He then led them to the upper end of the meadow, 
where the ground was higher and drier, though it had 
also been underdrained. Here were three acres set with 
horseradish. The harrow had just been run over the 
field between the rows, and the green tops were peep- 
ing here and there above the surface. Uncle Benny 
had travelled all the world over, and, as he was some- 
times disposed to think, had seen everything there was 
in it. But he admitted that here was a thing new even 
to him ; he had never stumbled on a three-acre field of 
horseradish until now. It was as great a novelty tc the 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 127 

boys, who knew nothing more of the cultivation of the 
plant than seeing a few roots growing on the edge of 
a dirty gutter at home, while they were utterly ignorant 
of its marketable capabilities. They could tell everything 
about corn, but not an item about horseradish. Uncle 
Benny knew there must be some kind of a demand for 
it, but how extensive that might be he had never had 
occasion to learn. Hence he and his pupils stood in 
silent surprise at this unexpected exhibition. 

" But what is to become of the vast quantity of roots 
you are producing here ? " inquired Uncle Benny. " Does 
the world want as much horseradish as this ? Who is 
to buy it, and who is to eat it .'* " 

" Not a bit of fear as to a market," replied Mr. Allen 
smiling at the old man's surprise and incredulity. " New 
York never has enough, never had, and never will have. 
One dealer in that city takes my whole crop, and is annually 
calling for more. I am determined next year to double 
the quantity of ground already planted." 

" You surprise me," said the old man. " Then the 
crop must pay. How many roots can you grow upon 
an acre ? " 

" Why, you see these rows are three feet apart, and 
the plants are set one foot asunder in the rows, thus 
giving me nearly fifteen thousand per acre. At that dis- 
tance, on suitable soil, the average weight per root would 



128 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

be one pound. The rows are just wide enough apart 
to get safely through with a small cultivator, so as to 
keep down the weeds, — for when I set out to raise any- 
thins:, I can't afford to raise weeds also. Weeds don't 
pay, — we don't believe in them." 

" And what can the New-Yorkers afford to give you 
per root .'' " again inquired the old man. 

" Don't know what they can afford, but they do afford 
to pay me an average of five cents," was the rejoinder. 

" Why, that 's far better than Spangler's cabbages, or 
anybody else's," added Uncle Benny. 

" No doubt of it, — it 's better than my own, and they 
are equal to any in the neighborhood," replied Mr. Allen. 
" The fact is, Uncle Benny, agriculture has made such 
astonishing progress within the last fifteen years, and 
our great cities have so increased their population, that 
what at one time was the most insignificant farm product 
has risen to the position of a staple, which everybody 
wants. I could name a dozen such. But take the single 
article of horseradish, one of the most insignificant things 
that ever grew in a farmer's garden, in some wet place 
where it could catch the drip of the kitchen pump. I 
see you are smiling at the idea, but hear me through. 
It is now cultivated in fields of from ten to twenty acres, 
and goes to the great cities by hundreds of tons. There 
is a single dealer in New York who buys thirty tons 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 29 

annually. He has machinery, driven by steam, which 
grinds or rasps it up into pulp, after which it is mixed 
with vinegar and bottled up in various ways to preserve 
its strength and flavor. It is then sold in great quan- 
tities as part of the stores of every ship, not only as a 
condiment for the table, but as a certain preventive of 
the scurvy. In this prepared state it goes all over the 
country, and is thus consumed in every hotel and board- 
ing-house. Even private families have become so luxu- 
rious and indolent in their habits as to refuse to grate 
their own horseradish, preferring to buy it ready grated. 
Thus there is a vast body of consumers, with only a 
limited number of growers. But it is used in other 
ways, in the arts, and for other purposes. Go into any 
market-house in a large city, and you will see men with 
machines grinding up horseradish for crowds of customers 
who come daily to be supplied with a few cents' worth 
These apparently small operators do a very large business, 
for the pennies have a way of counting up into dollars 
that would surprise one who has never gone into a cal- 
culation. 

"The facility of getting horseradish ready ground in- 
duces people to buy many times the quantity they would 
if compelled to grind for themselves. I have no idea 
that the business of growing it can be overdone. I have 
been raising it for tv/enty years, and have found that 
9 



130 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

the more I produce, the more I can sell. Besides, there 
is no farm crop that. gives less trouble or pays better." 

While this colloquy was going on, the boys had wan- 
dered some few paces away, and the Spanglers were 
examining the three acres with close attention, when one 
of the Aliens exclaimed, "That's our acre, — we take 
care of that, — that 's the way we pay father for our 
corn." 

This piece of information was very satisfactory to the 
Spanglers. They had been wanting to know how the 
Aliens contrived to feed their pigeons, whether out of 
their own crib or their father's. 

Just then Mr. Allen and Uncle Benny came up, and 
the former said, " Now this outside acre of horseradish be- 
longs to my boys and their sister. They take the whole 
care of it except harrowing the ground, but doing the 
hoeing, weeding, and harvesting, their sister helping them 
to wash it and get it ready for market. I think it right 
to give them a chance to do something for themselves. 
I remember when I was a poor boy, that a very mean 
one was afforded to me, though I wanted so much to 
make some kind of a beginning. All the money this 
acre produces belongs to them. They keep regular ac- 
counts of what is done upon it, charging themselves with 
the ploughing, cultivating, and also with what we estimate 
their pigeons will consume. All the money produced 



FARMING FOR BOYS. I3I 

from these two sources, after deducting expenses, belongs 
to them, and I put the most of it out for them as an in- 
vestment, where it increases a little • every year, and will 
be a snug capital for them to begin life with. I think it 
is about the best investment, next to underdraining, that 
[ have ever made." 



132 FARMING FOR BOYS. 



CHAPTER IX. 

How TO MANAGE A Peach-Orchard. — A Boy's WORK-SHOr. — A Crowi) 
OF PouLTRV. — Making the Hens lay. — A Boys' Library. 

A S they strolled over the grounds on their return to the 
^ ^ house, they passed a peach-orchard in its prime of 
bearing, which showed a surprising amount of bloom. The 
old man paused at the end of a row to admire the beautiful 
symmetry of the trees. They had all been headed in by 
an experienced hand, — that is, the extreme ends of the 
limbs had been cut off by means of a sharp knife set in 
the end of a handle about three feet in length, by which 
one half of the wood made the preceding sum.mer had been 
removed. Even the topmost branches had been shortened 
in the same way, so that the fruit at the very top could 
be readily gathered by standing on a common chair, while 
the remainder could be reached from the ground. The 
trees, being thus deprived of all long, straggling limbs, 
were kept in a smaller space, and were compact and 
rounded in their outline. 

As Uncle Benny had never seen this mode of. pruning 
the peach-tree adopted by any other person, Mr. Allen ex- 
plained the theory on which it was founded. He said that 
the peach-tree bore its fruit on the wood which had grown 



FARMING FOR BOYS. I33 

the preceding year, and that much of this new wood was 
sent out from the ends of the branches. There was there- 
fore a continual extension of these branches upwards and 
all round the tree, until they pushed out so far in search 
of air and sunshine that the limbs became too weak to sup- 
port the load of fruit which grew upon their extremities. 
They consequently broke down under the excessive weight ; 
the fruit thus falling to the ground did not ripen, and was 
therefore lost, while the tree itself was seriously injured by 
the loss of the great broken limbs which had to be cut 
away. It was the habit of the tree to produce too much, 
and the prevailing sin of the peach-grower was that of 
permitting it to bear an excessive crop. 

The true remedy was to begin when the trees were 
planted. As the roots spread, so the limbs multiplied and 
extended. This extension must be arrested by shortening 
them every year, in the spring for instance, and cutting oft^ 
at least one half of the new growth. The operation gave 
the tree a beautifully rounded head from the start, and there 
would be no difficulty in preserving the same compact out- 
line. Of course this trimming removed one half of the 
fruit-buds, so that the tree would produce only half as many 
peaches as when permitted to sprawl away over twice the 
quantity of ground. 

But this reduction of the quantity of fruit was exactly 
the result which every careful horticulturist would seek to 



134 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

produce. What he lost in quantity he would realize in 
quality, and it is quality that commands great cash returns, 
not quantity. If he had fewer peaches, they would be three 
or four times as large and fine, and consequently would 
command the best price of the market. He would also 
have fewer to gather and handle. His trees would be all 
the better for being thus prevented from breaking down under 
an excessive crop, as the loss of a hundred tips of young 
wood resulted in no injury, while the tearing away of two or 
three old limbs was followed by wounds which generally went 
on growing larger, until the tree died before its time. 

As regarded the superior quality of the fruit produced, 
Mr, Allen said there could be no dispute about it among 
those who had ever tried this mode of checking the excessive 
bearing propensity of the peach. A little reflection would 
convince any one of its reasonableness, even without having 
witnessed the result. Though the top of the tree was 
reduced in size, and the fruit-buds diminished in number, 
yet the roots went on extending, — there was no pruning 
of them. As they extended themselves in search of nourish- 
ment, so they accumulated it in proportion to the extension. 
This annual accumulation was sent up into the tree as 
the fountain from which it was to form new wood and 
perfect a crop of fruit. But though half the fruit-buds 
were removed, yet the volume of nourishment was as great 
as before. It would therefore pour into each peach exactly 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 35 

double the amount of food it could have done had no buds 
been removed. The distribution of this over a full crop 
would only result in small-sized peaches, while its concen- 
tration upon a half-crop would bring the half-crop up to, 
and even beyond, the value of the whole one. 

Turning round to Tony King, who, with the other boys, 
was listening to this explanation, Mr. Allen added : " Why, 
Tony, take your litter of pigs as proof of what you have 
heard. You now feed them tolerably well, I suppose ; but 
if you were to kill half of them, and continued giving to the 
remaining half the same quantity of corn and swill that you 
had given to the whole number, don't you think those that 
thus had double feed would grow a great deal faster than 
they do now ? " 

This was a form of illustration they could not fail to under- 
stand, and they readily assented to its soundness. 

" Well," he continued, " it is the same with peaches, and 
almost all other fruits, — feed them liberally, and you will 
have the best." 

There were some three hundred trees in this peach-orchard. 
Uncle Benny, as well as the boys, was puzzled to know what 
it was he saw tied round the but of each tree just at the 
ground. His eyes were too old to tell without going up to 
one of them and stooping down to examine. On doing so he 
discovered that every tree was encased in a jacket of coarse, 
thickish pasteboard, which reached about an inch below the 



136 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

ground, and stood some six inches high, just embracing all 
the neck or soft part of the bark at the surface. It was kept 
to its place round the but by a string. 

Mr. Allen explained the meaning of this contrivance. He 
said that, very soon after he had planted his trees, he discov- 
ered that the worms had attacked them ; and finding it a 
very troublesome business to hunt them out from the roots 
of so many trees, he concluded it would be much less labor 
to prevent their getting in, than to get them out after they 
had once made a lodgement. He therefore, after thoroughly 
worming the trees in the spring, supplied each with a paste- 
board jacket, which his boys tied on the whole orchard in 
a day. The peach-fly was thus kept from laying its eggs 
in the soft bark at the surface of the ground, the only place 
it selects ; and as no eggs were deposited on his trees, they 
had not been troubled with worms since he had practised 
this cheap and simple remedy. The jackets were put on 
in April, taken off in November, and laid by until wanted 
the next season. 

Uncle Benny and his boys were surprised at the variety 
of new things they met with on this farm. As long as they 
tarried and they strolled, the novelties appeared to increase 
in number. Drawing nearer to the house, they passed exten- 
sive beds of strawberries, and long rows of raspberries. When 
they came to the outbuildings, Mr. Allen took them into 
quite a large room attached to the carriage-shed, which he 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 137 

called the boys' tool-house. The visitors had never imagined 
anything like what they saw here. There was a work-bench 
and a lathe, with a complete assortment of carpenters* and 
turning tools. Most of them were hung up in places espe- 
cially provided for them, or arranged in racks against the side 
of the room, convenient to whoever might be at the bench. 

Nothing elated the boys so much as this exhibition of 
mechanical fixtures, — it was an epitome of a hundred aspi- 
rations. There were little boxes, rabbit-traps, and other 
contrivances, in the room, which the Allen boys had made 
for themselves, showing that, young as they were, they had 
already learned the art of using tools. The Spanglers looked 
round the room with admiration, perhaps with envy. 

" Better than our barn on a rainy day," said Uncle Benny, 
addressing Tony. 

" Yes, or anything else on our place," he responded. 

" Now, Uncle Benny," said Mr. Allen, *' I have somewhere 
read that there is in all men a making or mamtfactiiring in- 
stinct. Our houses, ships, machinery, in fact, everything we 
use, are the practical results of this instinct. Boys possess 
it strongly. A pocket-knife is more desirable to them than 
marbles or i humming-top. They can whittle with it, — 
make boat^*, kites, and twenty other things which all boys 
want. Tools are a great incentive to industry and ingenuity. 
Give a smart boy the use of such a place as this, or a little 
tool-chest of his own, and he will cease to associate with the 



138 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

rude crowd in the street among whom he had found amuse- 
ment. He will stay more at home, where he will learn to 
do many little useful jobs about the house. He will be kept 
out of mischief Let him make water-wheels, little wagons, 
toy-boats, sleds, and houses. The possession of a tool-chest 
will develop his mechanical ability. I don't know who it 
is that writes thus, but they are exactly my ideas. This is a 
busy place on a rainy day." 

This work-room served a double purpose, as one side was 
devoted exclusively to hoes, and rakes, and spades, and other 
farming tools. The inflexible rule of the farm was, that, 
when a tool was taken out for work, it must be returned to 
its proper place as soon as the work was done. Placards 
were posted up behind the lathe and bench, bearing these 
words in large letters : — 

" A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING, AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE." 

A little patient drilling of the boys in this rule made them 
obedient and thoughtful. There were no tools lying in odd 
corners about the farm, hoes hung up in trees where none 
would think of looking for them, or spades left in the ground 
where the last digging had been done ; but as each went 
regularly into its place, so it could always be found when 
wanted. There was consequently no loss of tools, nor of 
time in looking for them. 

The Spangler boys were also struck with the small size 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 39 

of some of the farming tools. There were hoes and rakes 
and spades scarcely half as large, and not nearly so heavy, 
as those usually wielded by men. On taking hold of these, 
they could feel the difference between them and the clumsy 
tools wdth which they worked at home. The handles were 
thinner, the iron-work was lighter, and they felt sure they 
could do more work with these convenient implements than 
with the heavy ones they had always used. It was as much 
by the unnecessary weight of the tools that their young 
muscles were fatigued, as by the labor itself Uncle Benny 
noticed the same thing in these, and admired the wisdom of 
Mr. Allen in thus consulting the comfort of his boys by pro- 
viding them with implements adapted to their strength. 

" If," said the latter, " we are ever to make labor attractive 
to our sons, we must be careful not to disgust them with it, 
by requiring them to work with tools so heavy that strong 
men only can handle them without breaking down under 
their weight. How absurd it would be to harness a man 
to a horse-rake, and expect him to rake up a hay-field with 
it. Yet half our farmers never take this matter into consid- 
eration, but act as if they thought a young boy could handle 
a clumsy hoe as comfortably as they do. I find it has paid 
me well to invest a few dollars in these hght tools for the 
boys. They don't overtask their strength, and hence they 
can stand up to a full day's work without coming home so 
fatigued as to wish that no such thing as work had ever been 
invented." 



140 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

The Spanglers followed their leaders out of the tool-house 
with evident reluctance. It seemed to have obtained a 
stronger hold on their affections than anything they had so 
far seen. The ownership of a jack-knife had at one time 
been all their modest ambition desired ; then the possession 
of a tool-chest like Uncle Benny's would have gratified their 
utmost wishes ; but having witnessed this profusely furnished 
establishment, their longings, like those of children of a larger 
growth, seemed to acquire intensity as the difficulty of grat- 
ification increased. That night they talked of tools until 
sleep overtook them in bed, and dreamed of them after it 
had closed their eyelids. 

By this time it was so nearly sunset that Mr. Allen's great 
stock of poultry had congregated just in front of the com- 
pany, knowing by instinct that, if bedtime were approach- 
ing, supper-time also must be close at hand. They knew well 
the young hands that fed them, and held up their heads in 
hungry expectation of the generous meal they were to receive. 
But the feathered crowd was so much larger than it had been 
a few hours before, that the visitors paused to inspect it. 

There were chickens of the best domestic breeds, with 
here and there an uncouth colossal Shanghai, standing up 
on gr^at clumsy legs, like a gallinaceous giant, overtopping 
the squat figures of the common fowls. An irate hen, im- 
patient of the expected corn, would now and then, with sud- 
den peck at some quiet but equally hungry neighbor, seize 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 



141 



a feather in the wing or neck of the unsuspecting waiter, 
and wring from her not only the feather, but a piercing cry. 
As this barbarous sport was constantly indulged in through- 




out the crowd, a loud clamor of pain and spite and impatience 
rose up from among the hungry assemblage. The turkeys 
stalked at random through its dense ranks, holding up their 



142 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

heads and . looking round with a native gravity, although 
equally keen for supper, and once in a while plunging sudden- 
ly forward to escape the pinching lunge of an exasperated 
hen. Overhead, the pigeons sailed in a large flock, while 
many of them clustered on the roofs and eaves of the build- 
ings which overhung the feeding-ground, too timid to battle 
with the turbulent and squalUng crowd which now had it in 
possession, but ready to settle down whenever the gastro- 
nomic foray should begin. Altogether it was the busiest and 
noisiest scene of the kind the Spanglers had ever witnessed ; 
nor did they know it was possible for Mr. Allen's farm to 
present it, so limited had been their opportunities of seeing 
even what their nearest neighbors were doing. 

" How is it about eggs in winter ? " inquired Uncle 
Benny, addressing himself to Mr. Allen. "Do you get 
any } Spangler has a breed of hens that appear to do 
nothing in cold weather but eat. They did n't lay an egg 
last winter." 

"Ah, Uncle Benny," replied Mr. Allen, "he don't manage 
his hens the right way. Indeed, I don't know any operation 
of his that 's carried on as it should be, though his farm 
is naturally as good as mine. It is management altogether 
that makes a farmer, and mismanagement that breaks him. 
Why, I sent eggs to Trenton twice a week all through 
the winter, and eggs are high now, you know. I think 
they have more than paid for all the fowls have consumed ; 



FARMING FOR BOYS. I43 

— the boys have it down in L..eir account-book, and could 
tell to a cent both how much feed has been eaten and how 
much money the eggs have brought. I don't allow them 
to receive or lay out a cent without setting it down. If 
they buy a fishing-pole or a Jews-harp it must go down 
in the book, for at the year's end, when they find they have 
spent so much money, they must be able to tell me and 
their mother how it was spent. You may think it a great 
deal of trouble to be so particular, and it was so to get 
them into it, but it is a kind of trouble that pays in the 
end. My boys thus learn early what they must learn some 
time, and what too many are never taught at all. 

" Now," he continued, " others no doubt do better with 
their poultry in cold weather than myself But my plan 
is to confine them in quarters that are roomy, airy, and 
kept as clean as a thorough cleaning once or twice a week 
can make them, with warm shelter from cold winds and 
rain. I am particular about letting them have only clean 
water to drink, and that always within reach. Then there 
is a full supply of broken oyster-shells, lime, and bone-dust, 
with ashes and gravel. All these are necessary to con- 
tinued good health, and to keep off vermin. 

" Then, as to feeding, they get every green thing from 
the kitchen that most persons throw to the pigs, such as 
cabbage-leaves, celery parings and tops, with turnip and 
potato parings. They also have boiled potatoes and Indian 



144 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

meal, and every scrap of cold meat from the kitchen. Ii 
is not always there is meat enough, in which case I supply 
them with what is called chandlers' greaves, or cracklings, 
softened by soaking in water. Of this I give them as much 
as they want, never allowing them to be without meat of 
some description. I have often brought home a sheep's 
pluck, and, after chopping it up fine, given it to them raw. 
They devour these things so greedily as to satisfy me that 
meat, or animal food of some kind, such as worms, grass- 
hoppers, flies, and other insects, is necessary to the healthy 
life of poultry. At all events, they never laid eggs regularly 
for me in cold weather until I began to give them plenty 
01 meat." 

" 1 regard your success as evidence of the soundness of 
your system of feeding," replied Uncle Benny. 

"There is really a great deal of reason in it, when one 
looks into the subject," he resumed. *'You see. Uncle 
Benny, that, when fowls range over the ground in summer, 
they pick up an almost endless variety of animal food, 
such as worms, crickets, grasshoppers, and flies. But as 
cold weather comes on, all this supply of food disappears, 
and it is very remarkable that as soon as the supply di- 
minishes they begin to quit laying. When these rations 
are entirely cut off by severe winter weather, the supply 
of eggs ceases. The two results occur with so much uni- 
formity as to satisfy me that the production of eggs is 
dependent on the supply of animal food. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 145 

** Every farmer," he added, " knows that hens do not lay 
in cold weather, but few understand the cause, or if they do, 
they are too careless to apply the remedy. I have learned 
to look upon a hen as a mere machine for manufacturing 
eggs. She may be likened to a sausage-stuffer. If you 
introduce into it no nicely seasoned compound of the proper 
materials, I wonder how it can be expected to turn out 
sausages.'* It is precisely so with a hen, — if you expect 
her to turn out eggs, you must introduce into the wonderful 
machine which grinds up worms and sheep's pluck into 
eggs some assortment of the materials that will enable her 
to project them regularly every day. 

" Now the machine will certainly work, if you keep up 
its energies by giving it such food as it needs. Our stoves 
require twice as much feeding in cold weather as they do 
in summer, and I never yet saw a grist-mill that would 
turn out flour unless you put grain into the hopper. There 
is another curious fact which long practice in poultry-raising 
has brought under my notice ; that is, that eggs laid by 
a hen well supplied with animal food are not only larger 
in size, but richer in quality. My Trenton storekeeper 
often tells me that my eggs are larger than any other 
winter-laid ones that he sees, and that they generally sell 
for a few cents more per dozen. All these odds and ends 
of pluck and giblets that my fowls get during the winter 
cost very little money. But in return for that outlay, look 

10 



146 ARMING P'OR BOYS. 

at the result, — I really double the length of the laying 
season, adding the increase at the very time when eggs 
are scarce and bringing the highest prices. If it weie not 
for this plan of feeding, I don't believe my poultry-keeping 
would pay much profit. To make poultry profitable you 
must exercise care. But can you make anytJiing pay with- 
out careful management .'* If there be such things, I should 
like to know what they are." 

" I think you have hit it this time also," observed Uncle 
Benny. "Whatever your hand touches seems to prosper." 

" But most of these little variations from the practice of 
other farmers are not of my own originating," replied Mr. 
Allen. " I learned them principally from books and periodi- 
cals. From one I obtained the whole formula of how to pro- 
ceed, while in another a mere hint was dropped. But even 
a hint. Uncle Benny, is sufficient for an observing mind. 
Some which struck me as pointing to valuable results, I fol- 
lowed up and improved upon to the greatest advantage. Now 
I have a treasury of these things, which I will show you." 

He led the whole company forward into the house, and 
ushered them into a room which he called the library. There 
were shelves covering two sides of a very capacious room, 
filled with books, periodicals, and newspapers. The old man 
glanced hastily at the titles, and found that there were works 
on history, biography, and travels, with at least thirty volumes 
of different agricultural publications, showing that Mr. Allen 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 147 

was a close student of whatever was passing in the agricul- 
tural world, keeping up, from week to week, with the wonderful 
progress which is everywhere witnessed in the art of tilling 
and improving the soil, and with the multitude of valuable 
suggestions and experiences which crowd the agricultural 
publications of our country. There were also pen and ink, 
paper, and an account-book, always convenient for making 
an entry when in a hurry. On another table, especially 
provided for the boys, were similar conveniences. In short, 
the whole arrangements and appliances of the room were 
such as would make them attractive to boys who had the 
least fondness for reading, while they would be potent help- 
ers to such as were ambitious of acquiring knowledge. They 
gave unmistakable indications of Mr. Allen's mind and taste, 
showing that within doors, as well as without, his ambition 
was to be progressive. 

Uncle Benny looked round the comfortable room in silent 
admiration, and determined in his own mind that he would 
make renewed efforts to put within reach of the Spanglers 
some additional portion of the great volume of current knowl- 
edge adapted to their condition. Even they were struck 
with the cosiness of the quiet room, the two older ones con- 
trasting it with the comfortless kitchen which was their only 
refuge at home. 

" This is a popular place for a stormy day, Uncle Benny," 
observed Mr. Allen. "This and the workshop are great 



148 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

institutions on my farm. I am sometimes at a loss to know 
which the boys like best. But the variety, the change from 
one to the other, is a valuable incident of both. The work- 
shop is excellent by daylight, but here they can spend their 
evenings, and here the whole family can gather together. It 
becomes, in fact, the family fireside ; and there is no school 
so important as that. My children learn much at school, but 
here they learn infinitely more, — the cultivation of the 
affections, the practice of good manners, the lessons which 
are to fit them for future usefulness and respectability, and I 
trust for happiness hereafter. This fireside education is 
woven in with the very woof of their childhood, and it is 
such that it must in every case give form and color to the 
whole texture of human life. I never had a home like this 
until I created it for myself. Had I been granted the boyish 
opportunities that you see I am so careful to bring within 
reach of my children, I should have been far better informed 
than I am. There is no show about it; — show may be 
easily purchased, but happiness is a home-made article." 

" I look upon you as an example," replied Uncle Benny. 
" Neither do I wonder at everything seeming to prosper that 
you undertake. Your children must rise uj) and call you 
blessed." 



FARMING FOR BOYS. I49 



CHAPTER X. 

[Iaving a Dozen Friends. — Killing a Snake. — Cruelty condemned. — 
Lecture on a Worm-fence. — Value of Agricultural Fairs. — A 

RETURNED ADVENTURER. 

' I ^HE party soon took their departure. As this was the 
^ first time that Uncle Benny had been over Mr. Allen's 
farm, he was proportionately surprised at what he had there 
seen and heard, and felt vexed with himself at having thus 
long overlooked so useful a school of instruction which stood 
open almost at his very door. But he treasured up the valu- 
able hints he had received, and was ever ready to set before 
the Spangler boys the strong moral of the example they had 
so fortunately witnessed. The incidents of the afternoon 
formed the staple of their conversation during a slow home- 
ward walk. Tony King had been powerfully impressed by 
them. They seemed to operate on his young mind as dis- 
couragements to hope, rather than as stimulants to persever- 
ance and progress. He had let in the idea that the distance 
between his friendless condition and the prosperous one of 
Mr. Allen could never be overcome by any effort he could 
exert. In this frame of mind he suddenly exclaimed, looking 
up to Uncle Benny, " How I wish I had some friends to help 
me on ! " 

The old man stopped, surprised at this explosion of discon- 



150 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

tent, and replied by saying, " Tony, you have a dozen friends 
without appearing to know it." 

"Who are they?" he eagerly inquired. 

" Hold up your hands ! " replied the old man. " Now count 
your fingers and thumbs. There ! you have ten strong friends 
that you can't shake off. There are your two hands besides. 
What more had Mr. Allen, or the little pedler who sold you 
that knife ? They began with no other friends, no more than 
you have, and see how they have carved their way up. If 
you can't use this dozen of friends to help you on in the 
world also, it will be your own fault. It will be time enough 
for you to pray for friends, when you have discovered that 
those you were born with are not able to provide you with 
what you may need." 

Before Tony could reply to this home thrust, a little garter- 
snake, only a few inches long, came running across their path, 
directly in front of the boys. Bill Spangler, observing it, 
cried out, " Kill him ! Kill him ! " and Tony also noticing 
the delicately striped little creature, as well as that it was hur- 
rying out of the way as quickly as it could, instantly jumped 
upon it, and with his heavy boot stamped it to death at one 
blow. 

Now, in most men, and certainly in all boys, there seems 
to be an instinct that must be born with them, which impels 
them to kill a snake whenever he happens to come within 
reach of boot or stick. If not a natural instinct, descending 



FARMING FOR BOYS. I5I 

CO them from our first mother, it must be one of those univer- 
sal propensities that boys learn from each other with the 
ready aptitude of youth, and with a sanguinary alacrity. It 
is another great illustration of the strength of the imitative 
faculty among our boys. It is of no moment what may be 
the trufe character of the poor wriggler that happens to cross 
their path, whether venomous or harmless : the fact of its 
being a snake is enough, and if they can so contrive it, it 
must die. 

It was this propensity that caused Bill, the youngest ot 
the three, to shout instantly for the death of the little garter- 
snake, and impelled Tony to spring forward, with sympa- 
thetic promptness, and stamp its life out. There was not a 
moment's pause for thought as to whether the creature were 
not in some way useful to man, nor had either of the boys 
been taught to remember that, even if a living thing were of 
no use, there was still room enough in the world for both 
them and it. Hence, no sooner had the snake come within 
siglit than its fate was sealed. 

Uncle Benny did not belong to that class of men who think 
themselves justified in killing insects or reptiles wantonly, 
merely because they happen to be disagreeable objects to 
look upon. The slaughter of the poor snake had been ac- 
complished with so much suddenness that he had no time 
to interpose a good word in its behalf, or he would have glad- 
ly spoken it. The act was therefore a real grief to him, not 



152 FARMING FOK BOYS. 

only from pity for the harmless creature whose body still 
writhed with muscular activity, even after consciousness of 
suffering had departed, but because it showed a propensity 
for inflicting needless pain on the unoffending brute creation, 
which he had never before seen developed in these boys. 

" That was very wrong, boys," said the old man ; '' that 
snake did you no harm, nor could it injure any one. On the 
contrary, these field snakes of our country are the farmer's 
friends. They devour insects, mice, and other enemies to 
the crops, but never destroy our fruits. They do not poison 
when they bite. They are not your snakes, — you did not 
give them life, and you have no right to take it away. There 
is room enough in this world for all living things that have 
been created, without a single one of them being in your way. 
Now get up here." 

Saying this, he mounted himself on a huge rider of Span- 
gler's worm fence, and, when the boys were all seated beside 
him, produced a newspaper from his pocket, and, observing 
that he was going to give them an extract from a lecture of 
the Rev. Mr. Beecher, proceeded to read the following appro- 
priate sentences: — 

" A wanton destruction of insects, simply because they are 
insects, without question as to their habits, without inquiry 
as to their mischievousness, for no other reason than that 
wherever we see an insect we are accustomed to destroy it, 
is wrong. We have no right to seek their destruction if they 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 153 

be harmless. And yet we rear our children without, any 
conscience, and without any instruction whatever toward 
these weaker creatures in God's world. Our only thought 
of an insect is that it is something to be broomed or trod on. 
There is a vague idea that naturalists sometimes pin them 
to the wall, for some reason that they probably know ; but 
that there is any right, or rule, or law that binds us toward 
God's minor creatures, scarcely enters into our conception. 

"A spider in our dwelling is out of place, and the broom 
is a sceptre that rightly sweeps him away : but in the pasture, 
where he belongs, and you do not, — where he is of no incon- 
venience, and does no mischief, — where his webs are but 
tables spread for his own food, — where he follows his own 
instincts in catching insects for his livelihood, as you do 
yours in destroying everything, almost, that lives, for your 
livelihood, — why should you destroy him there, in his brief 
hour of happiness .'* And yet, wherever you see a spider, 
* Hit him ! ' is the law of life. 

" Upturn a stone in the field. You shall find a city una- 
wares. Dwelling together in peace are a score of different 
insects. Worms draw in their nimble heads from the daz- 
zling light. Swift shoot shining black bugs back to their 
covert. Ants swarm with feverish agility, and bear away 
their eggs. Now sit quietly down and watch tfte enginery 
and economy that are laid open to your view. Trace the 
canals or highways through which their traffic has been 



154 FARMING FOR BOY%. 

carried. See what strange conditions of life are going on 
before you. Feel, at last, sympathy for something that is 
not a reflection of yourself Learn to be interested without 
egotism. But no, the first impulse of rational men, educated 
to despise insects and God's minor works, is to seek another 
stone, and, with kindled eye, pound these thoroughfares of 
harmless insect life until all is utterly destroyed. And if we 
leave them and go our way, we have a sort of lingering sense 
that we have fallen somewhat short of our duty. The most 
universal and the most unreasoning destroyer is man, who 
symbolizes death better than any other thing. 

" I, too, learned this murderous pleasure in my boyhood. 
Through long years I have tried to train myself out of it ; 
and at last I have unlearned it. I love, in summer, to seek 
the solitary hillside, — that is less solitary than even the 
crowded city, — and, waiting till my intrusion has ceased to 
alarm, watch the wonderful ways of life which a kind God 
has poured abroad with such profusion. And I am not 
ashamed to confess that the leaves of that great book of 
revelation which God opens every morning, and spreads in 
the valleys, on the hills, and in the forests, is rich with mar- 
vellous lessons that I could read nowhere else. And often 
things have taught me what words had failed to teach. Yea, 
the words of revelation have themselves been interpreted to 
my understanding by the things that I have seen in the 
solitudes of populous nature. I love to feel my relation to 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 155 

every part of animated nature. I try to go back to that 
simplicity of Paradise in which man walked to be sure at the 
head of the animal kingdom, but not bloody, desperate, cruel, 
crushing whatever was not useful to him. I love to feel 
that my relationship to God gives me a right to look sympa- 
thetically upon all that God nourishes. In his bitterness, 
Job declared, ' I have said to the worm. Thou art my 
mother and my sister.' We may not say this ; but I 
surely say to all living things in God's creation, * I am your 
elder brother, and the almoner of God's bounty to you. 
Being his son, I too have a right to look with beneficence 
upon your little lives, even as the greater Father does.' 

"A wanton disregard of life and happiness toward the in- 
sect kingdom tends to produce carelessness of the happiness 
of animal life everywhere. I do not mean to say that a man 
who would needlessly crush a fly would therefore slay a man ; 
but I do mean to say that that moral constitution out of 
which springs kindness is hindered by that which wantonly 
destroys happiness anywhere. Men make the beasts of 
burden, that minister to life and comfort, the objects, fre- 
quently, of attention that distresses them, or of neglect that 
is more cruel. And I hold that a man who wantonly would 
destroy insect life, or would destroy the comfort of the animal 
that serves him, is prepared to be inhuman toward the lower 
forms of human life. The inhumanity of man to animals 
has become shocking. I scarcely pass through the streets of 



156 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

Brooklyn or New York, that I do not behold monstrous and 
wanton cruelty. There are things done to animals that should 
send a man to prison every day of our lives. And it is high 
time that there should be associations formed here to main- 
tain decency and kindness toward the brute creation, as 
there ha\'e been formed in Paris and London, and almost 
all civilized countries except our own. Cruelty to animals 
tends to cruelty to men. The fact is, that all those invasions 
of life and happiness which are educating men to an indul- 
gence of their passions, to a disregard of God's work, to 
a low and base view of creation, to a love of destructiveness, 
and to a disposition that carries with it cruelty and suffering, 
and that is hindered from breaking out only by fear and 
selfishness, lead to a disregard of labor and the laborer. The 
nature which they beget will catch man in his sharp neces- 
sities, and mercilessly coerce him to the benefit of the strong 
and the spoiling of the weak. And it is the interest of 
the poor man, and the oppressed man, that there should 
be a Christianity that shall teach men to regard the whole 
animated kingdom below themselves as God's kingdom, and 
as having rights — minor and lower rights, but rigJits — 
before God and before man." 

"You see, boys," continued Uncle Benny, "what this 
gentleman thinks and says on this subject, and I trust you 
will remember, hereafter, that all God's creatures have as 
perfect a right to live in his world as you have." 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 157 

There was a peculiarity of Uncle Benny's mode of 
correcting the bad habits of the boys, — he was careful 
to avoid a continual fault-finding. His idea was that 
rebukes should always be couched in soft words, but forti- 
fied with hard arguments, and that, to make censure most 
effectual, it should be mixed with a little praise, whenever 
it was possible to .-imuggle it in. 

Somebody has -'^id that, "when a fault is discovered, 
it is well to look jp a virtue to keep it company." This 
was Uncle Benny s view of things. In fact, he was generally 
as careful to express approbation of good behavior as dis- 
approbation of that which was bad. He believed that any 
one could do a casual act of good-nature, but that a con- 
tinuation of such acts showed good-nature to be a part 
of the temperament, and that even a temper or disposition 
which was naturally sweet and equable might be soured 
and ri77:]e morose and petulant by incessant fault-finding. 

Hc'/i he never was guilty of a regular scolding, but 
prefe./ ,'i persuasion, with an effort to convince the judg- 
ment Dy argument, and illustrations drawn from facts so 
plain that they could not be denied. His practice was 
thus found to be so different from the discipline of their 
father's kitchen, that they bore any amount of the old man's 
pleading and argumentation without ever becoming rufifled 
in temper or tired of listening. But his frequent readings 
were probably the most popular part of the many discourses 
he felt called upon to deHver to them. 



158 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

When this last one was finished, they all got down from 
the worm fence and continued their way. It had been 
an eventful afternoon for the boys. They were continually 
speaking of the novelties they had seen, and wondered how 
it happened they had never known of them until now, 
though living only two miles away, and resolved not only 
to go again, whenever they had time, but to get Uncle 
Benny to take them to some other farms in the neighbor- 
hood, that they might see what was going on there also 
They felt that they had learned much from this single visit, 
and presumed that visiting in a wider circle would be equally 
instructive. 

Uncle Benny said, in reply to this, that he was glad to 
see they were thinking so sensibly, and to find that their 
curiosity had been sharpened. He would gratify it as far 
as might be within his power. He told them the way to 
acquire knowledge was to go in search of it, as neither 
knowledge nor profit came to a man except as the result 
of some form of effort to obtain it. He explained to them 
that it was for the purpose of disseminating knowledge 
among farmers that agricultural fairs were annually held 
all over the country. They had never attended any, but 
he would tell them that they were great gatherings of 
farmers and others who had something to exhibit or to 
sell. Thousands of people attended these fairs, some for 
amusement only, but hundreds came to see if any new or 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 59 

improved machine was on exhibition, or a better stock of 
cows, or sheep, or pigs, or fowls, or a fine horse, or any 
superior variety of fruit or vegetables. If they saw what 
pleased them, they were pretty sure to buy it. At any 
rate, they did not fail to learn something valuable, even 
if they made no purchase. They saw, gathered up in a small 
compass, what was going on in the farmer's world, and this 
within a single day or two. Thus they accumulated a fund 
of knowledge which they could not have acquired had they 
remained at home. 

On the other hand, these county fairs were quite as ad- 
vantageous to the parties who thus brought their machines, 
or stock, or vegetables to be exhibited. Many of them 
manufactured the machines to sell, and so brought them 
where they knew there would be a crowd of farmers in 
attendance. It was just so with other articles exhibited. 
There were customers for everything on the ground. Even 
those who came to make sales were benefited in other ways. 
They made new and profitable acquaintances. This gave 
them a knowledge of men which they could not have acquired 
had they not gone to the fair in search of it. Thus there 
was an extensive interchange of information and ideas 
between man and man, for no one could be expected to 
know everything. Hence such gatherings as these county 
fairs were highly beneficial to the farming and manufactur- 
ing community; and it might be set down as a good rule, 



t60 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

that a farmer who felt so little interest in his business as 
never to attend an agricultural fair would commonly be 
found far in the background as regarded progress and im- 
provement. 

" Could n't you take us to a fair, Uncle Benny ? " inquired 
Tony. 

" Certainly," replied the old man, " if we can get per- 
mission." 

" And won't we take Nancy and the pigs ? " demanded 
Bill. 

" Yes," interrupted Tony ; " somebody will buy them and 
give a good price." 

" Sell Nancy } " demanded Bill, with a fire unusual to 
him. " You shan't do it. I won't have Nancy sold." 

" Well, never mind Nancy," responded Tony, " we '11 take 
the pigs and the pigeons." 

" Not all of them, anyhow," replied Bill, almost beginning 
to cry at the mere mention of letting Nancy go, while the 
dispute went on in so animated a style as to fairly startle 
the old man. 

** Stop, boys," he interposed. " There is time enough for 
all this. There is no hurry about the matter. The fair 
will not be held for several months yet, and you don't know 
whether Mr. Spangler will let us go. Wait a little longer, 
and I will settle this thing for you." 

The mere suggestion of their not being permitted to go 



FARMING FOR BOYS. l6l 

to the fair was an effectual check to this unusual efferves- 
cence, and the whole party relapsed into silence. But from 
this they were presently roused by the near approach of a 
traveller, whom they had noticed for some time in the road 
before them. No one appeared to recognize him ; but when 
he came within hailing distance of the company he took 
off an old cap, waved it over his head, and shouted, 
"Hurrah! Uncle Benny! Back again to Jersey!" 

The party were taken by surprise, but when the speaker 
came close up to them they saw who he was. 

" Why, that 's Frank Smith, sure enough ! I did n't 
know him," exclaimed Joe Spangler ; and then there was 
a crowding up to him and a general recognition and shak- 
ing of hands. 

" Why, Frank," said Uncle Benny, " we 're glad to see 
you. Did you say you 'd come back to Jersey .'' But 
what 's the matter ^ What 's brought you back ? " 

" Got enough of New York, — sick of the dirty place, 
and never want to see it again," he replied. " Put me among 
the Aliens once more, and blame me if you ever catch me 
quitting the farm as long as / live. I 'm pretty near to it 
now. How nice it looks! Tony, don't you ever think 
of going to New York." 

Here was a most unexpected conclusion to their after- 
noon's diversion. The boy before them, Frank Smith, was 
a lad of htteen, an active, intelligent, ambitious fellow, an 
II 



l62 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

orphan nephew of Mr. Allen, who had been taken by his 
uncle, when only ten years old, to be brought up as a farmer. 
He had been clothed and educated as his cousins, but for 
two or three years his mind had been bent on trying his 
fortune in the great city. No persuasion could wean him 
from his darling project, and becoming restless and dispirited 
under what he considered the monotonous routine of the 
farm, Mr, Allen finally yielded to his importunities, and 
permitted him, the Christmas previous, to try for himself 
how much better he could succeed in New Yorl . He fitted 
him out respectably, paid his fare on the railroad, and gave 
him a little purse of money with which to keep him clear 
of actual suffering until some jDrofitable employment should 
offer. Thus equipped, he plunged into the great city, having 
learned no trade but that of farming, with only a general 
idea of what he was to do, and without a solitary acquaint- 
ance among the thousands who were already fighting the 
battle of life within its densely crowded thoroughfares. 

He had been gone for months ; but in all that time he 
had written but one or two letters home, and they said 
nothing that was encouraging, though the}^ contained no 
complaints. The last one did say, however, that he would n't 
mind bein^ back on the farm. It was clear, thought Mr. 
Allen, that he had been disappointed, and was not doing 
much. But as Frank had been told, when leaving home, 
that he was welcome to return whenever he had enough 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 63 

of the city, no pressing invitation was sent, in reply, for 
him tc; come back. It was thought best to let him sow 
all his wild oats at once. His pride being strong, he coul.l 
not bring himself to the mortifying position of admitting 
by turning about and coming home, that he had committed 
a grave mistake, until driven to it by absolute suffering. 
So he held out until holding out longer became dangerous, 
and there he stood in the highway, Hke a prodigal son 
returning to the parental household. 

He went away with new clothes, clean linen, and a robust 
frame. He was now shabby, dirty, ragged, and his features 
indicated slender rations of food. It was this changed 
appearance that prevented the boys from recognizing their 
old friend until he was close upon them. He had travelled 
all the way from New York on foot, yet his step grew lighter 
and more elastic the nearer he came to his old home. Of 
course there was a w^orld of questions as to how he liked 
New York, what he had been doing there, whether he made 
any money, why he came back, and every other conceivable 
topic of inquiry that could suddenly occur to the minds 
nf three raw country boys. 

Frank was in no hurry to leave his friends for home, 
as it was now in sight, and he felt himself already there. 
Neither did he seem at all unwilling to give them as much 
as he then could of his adventures in the city, and so replied 
to their numerous inquiries as fully as he was able to. He 



l6/| FARMING FOR BOYS. 

was a frank, open-hearted fellow, without a particle of false • 
pride about him, and so admitted from the beginning that 
he had made the greatest mistake of his life in insisting 
upon leaving the farm. He even called himself a great 
fool for having done so. But after all, he thought it might 
be a good thing that he had made the trial, as it taught 
him many things that he never would have believed possible 
unless he had gone through them for himself, and was a 
lesson that would be useful to him as long as he lived. 

Though in reality he had but little to tell that would 
interest older folks, yet to the boys his story was partic- 
ularly attractive. Going into a great city with no friends, 
but little money, and without a trade, he could find nothing 
but chance jobs to do. The merchants and shopkeepers 
refused to employ him, because he was a stranger, with 
none to recommend him for honesty. When they found 
he was fresh from a farm, some said at once he was not 
the boy for them, — they wanted one who knew something. 
Others advised him to go home as quickly as he could, 
hut not one offered to help him. He occasionally picked 
lip a shilling by working along the wharves, but it was 
among a low, vicious, and profane set of men and boys, 
with whom it was very hard for him to be compelled to 
associate. Then he tried being a newsboy, bought papers 
at the printing-offices and sold them about the streets and 
hotels, and, other public places. But here he met with 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1*75 

SO many rebuffs, and was so often caught with a pile of 
unsold papers on his hands, that he found the business 
paid him no certain profit. The city boys seemed sharper 
and quicker, and invariably did better, some of them even 
saving money, and helping to support their aged or sick 
parents. 

He went through a variety of other experiences that were 
very trying to a boy of his spirit, but, though exerting himself 
to the utmost, he made no encouraging headway. One of his 
greatest trials was being compelled to associate with a low, 
swearing, drinking class of people, and to live in mean and 
comfortless boarding-houses because they were cheap. He 
never had a dollar to spare or to lay up. It required all he 
could make to keep him alive. As his clothes became worn 
and ragged, he was not able to obtain better ones. Still he 
was too proud to write home what he was undergoing, as he 
knew he had brought it on himself, and that it was exactly 
what his uncle had said would be likely to overtake him. Yet 
he was conscious of gradually becoming reconciled to the low 
and immoral set around him, so different from those among 
whom he had been brought up. 

One day, when in company with some of his associates, 
newsboys and boot-blacks, Frank saw a gentleman drop his 
pocket-book on the pavement. He ran instantly and picked 
it up, and was about following the loser to restore it to him, 
when his comrades stopped him, telling him he should do no 



1 66 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 



such thing, — that they had a share in it, as they were with 
him, and he must divide the money with them. The bare 







idea of steahng had never before crossed Frank's mind ; but 
now that it was suggested, with the propert}' of another actu- 
ally in his hands, which he could appropriate without fear of 
discovery, he felt the temptation to steal it come over his 
thoughts. But it was only for a moment. The early teach- 
ings of a virtuous home were not to be thus suddenly forgot- 
ten. Breaking away from his dishonest companions, he ran 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 6/ 

afcer the gentleman and restored him the pocket-book, and 
was soundly abused by the others for doing so. 

But Frank was so thoroughly alarmed by feeling that he 
hrxd thus been tempted to become a thief, and so fearful that, 
if he continued to associate with thieves he would soon be- 
come one, that he resolved not to stay another day in New 
York. Even if he had had a hard time there, his integrity 
was yet sound, his conscience clear, and he meant to keep it 
so. As he owned nothing but the old clothes in which he 
stood, it was an easy matter to leave the city ; so the next 
morning he started for home, with a few crackers in one pock- 
et and a huge sausage in the other, but with the light heart 
of youth, made lighter still by the consciousness that strength 
had been mercifully given him to overcome a strong tempta- 
tion. It was a two days' tramp even for his active limbs, but 
he went on joyously, and was never in better spirits than 
when he encountered the Spangler party in the road. 

" But would n't you have got rich if you had stayed lon- 
ger ? " inquired Tony. " A great many poor boys in New 
York have become rich men." 

" I don't believe it, Tony King," replied Frank. " Where 
there 's one who gets rich, there are twenty that go to the 
dogs, — that get drunk, or lie and steal, or sleep in boxes and 
hogsheads in the streets, and turn out vagabonds. I thought 
just as you think, that a/l the poor boys make money, and 
would n't believe my uncle when he told me that life in the 



1 68 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

city was the worst lottery in the world. But I Ve found it 
just as he said, only enough worse. Now, Tony, you want to 
go to the city, I know you do : you and I talked it over be- 
fore I went, and you want to go now. But if you don't stay 
where you are, you 're a bigger fool than I was. You '11 never 
catch me again leaving the farm to cry newspapers and 
black boots in the streets. I 'm made for something better 
than that." 

With this sensible admonition Frank bade his friends 
good by, and started off on a half-run for his uncle's house, 
as if impatient for the surprise which he knew his sudden 
appearance would occasion among the family. Uncle Benny 
was not sorry that his three boys had received the full 
benefit of Frank's experience of city life, nor could he 
regret the tattered dress in which he had presented him- 
self before them, as, if it were possible for eloquence to be 
found in rags, every one that hung about him became a 
persuasive witness to the truth of the experience he had 
related. 



FARMING FOR liOVS. 1 69 



CHAPTER XI. 

Mismanaging A Horse. — Value of an Inch of Rain. — Planting a 
Tree. — Value of sharp Hoes. — A Tree-Pedler. — How Plants 
grow. 

/^~\NE of the striking results of the boys' visit to their 
^-^ neighbor's model farm was the change of conversation 
in the Spangler family. When they came in to their meals, 
they talked continually of what they had seen there, and 
when out at work there was no end to the references to what 
had somehow become a sort of standard for their imitation. 
Uncle Benny was therefore careful to encourage all the good 
resolutions which his pupils seemed insensibly to be making, 
as well as to answer the crowd of new questions that were 
put to him at every turn. The boys could not help making 
comparisons betw^een the general neatness of the Allen farm 
and the squalid condition of their own ; and they were not 
slow in endeavoring to copy their neighbors, though their 
opportunities for doing so were not very great. 

Farmer Spangler was of necessity obliged to listen to 
numerous discussions, in which his neighbor's superior 
management was so highly extolled and his own so much 
condemned. Luckily for all, Spangler was a man of few 
words, and hence was a capital listener. He very seldom 
replied to any attack on his management, — as much because 



170 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

of his habitual taciturnity as from a conviction that was 
insensibly taking possession of him, that there must be some 
truth in what was said. Generally, Uncle Benny was quite 
moderate in his depreciation of Spangler's style of farming, 
as he was unwilling to give offence. But there were occa- 
sions, such as when he witnessed some gross departure from, 
good management, or some example that would be really 
injurious to the boys, and then he would explain himself for 
Spangler's especial benefit. But even then he talked at 
Spangler over the boys' shoulders ; that is, though he ad- 
dressed his words to them, he was really intending them for 
the father. In this way he could drop hints in much sharper 
language than if he had spoken to the man himself Span- 
gler took no offence at these side thrusts, and rarely made 
any reply. 

On one occasion, when the latter was patting a young and 
skittish horse to the wagon, he threw the harness suddenly 
and with great violence on its back, instead of gently placing 
it there. The timid creature, not yet accustomed to being 
harnessed, shrunk back and became quite unmanageable, and 
ended by treading on the wagon-shaft, which he broke in 
two. Seeing this, Spangler became enraged, and gave the 
horse a violent kick in the side. Uncle Benny and the boys 
were standing by, and saw it all. 

" That will never do," said the old man, addressing the 
boys, but loud enough for Spangler to hear. " A horse 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 



171 



should never be kicked, or even punished. It is gentle treat- 
ment alone that makes a horse valuable, and cruel treatment 
makes him worthless. We Americans abuse our horses 
more unfeelingly than any other people, and control them 




through fear of us instead of love for us. Even the un- 
christianized Arabs never abuse their horses, nor do the 
Chinese evei punish theirs. ' As obstinate as a mule,' is a 
common expression ; but a mule is not naturally obstinate, 
but is made so by being educated to bad treatment. The 



172 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

mule, which, in the hands of most Americans, would be not 
only useless, but dangerous to all who came near him, would, 
in the hands of a Chinaman, become quiet as a lamb and 
tractable as a dog. A vicious, jibing, or runaway mule is 
almost unknown among the Chinese, because of the uniform 
gentleness with which they treat them. They educate all 
other domestic animals by the same rule, securing obedience 
through the agency of love instead of fear. Cattle, pigs, 
ducks, and birds are equally cared for. These dumb beasts 
have sensibilities and affections as well as ourselves. Never 
let me see a horse kicked by any of you A hired man who 
should kick my horse, or beat him with a shovel, as is often 
done, should be turned off immediately." 

" That must be the reason why our Nancy and the pigs 
like me so well," added Bill Spangler when the old man had 
concluded. " I curry them up, and never scold them, and 
they come to me just like a dog." 

" Yes," replied Uncle Benny, *' the law of kindness operates 
as strongly on the brute creation as it does on human hearts. 
The man who is truly merciful will always be merciful to the 
dumb, dependent creatures around him." 

This accident to the wagon-shaft delayed Spangler a whole 
hour in starting for Trenton, because, as he had but one 
wagon, the damage must in some way be repaired. It was 
so broken that nailing would not answer ; so they tied the 
shaft round with a small horse-blanket, and kept that in its 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 73 

place by ropes and straps, and with this unsightly contriv- 
ance Spangler drove off for Trenton. There was no real 
necessity ibr his going, even before the breakdown ; but then 
there was to be a vendue, or auction sale, of household goods 
and farming utensils, and though he had no occasion to pur- 
chase any of them, yet he thought it would be well for him to 
be there, "just to see how they sold." There are some 
people in this world who have a passion for attending funer- 
als, and one of Spangler's fancies was for attending vendues, 
no matter how much home business he might neglect by 
going. 

All this happened just after dinner, in the month of June, 
when there were strong indications of a thunder-gust. But 
off Spangler went, and, as Uncle Benny had expected, the 
gust broke upon him while he was on the road, and gave 
him a complete drenching. Of course it drove all hands into 
their usual refuge, — the barn ; and there they sat while the 
rain poured down in torrents. It was the first good rain 
there had been for two weeks, and was much wanted by 
the farming community. It poured down so heavily, and 
continued so long, that Uncle Benny observed, "There must 
be at least an inch of this rain." 

" What is an inch of rain ? " inquired Joe Spangler, looking 
ihrough a knot-hole in the side of the barn, over a great 
pond that had been suddenly filled by the shower. " J 
should sav it was a foot." 



174 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

"Well, boys," replied the old man, "an inch of rain don't 
mean the water that is collected in puddles where the ground 
happens to be full of holes, but that which falls on a level all 
over the land. Now, when this shower is over, look into the 
bucket out by the pump, — I remember it was empty when 
the rain began, — and whatever depth of water you may find 
in it will be the extent of the rain-fall. This is what we call 
a rain-gauge ; and it is by having so simple a contrivance at 
all times in use that observing men, who watch the clouds 
and the weather, have been able to prove that about as much 
rain falls in one year as in another. Thus, if we have long 
spells of dry weather, they are succeeded by heavy rains, 
and thus very extraordinary rains are followed by long dry 
spells, making the rain-fall of many years average about the 
same." 

" But an inch of rain don't sound much, though it looks to 
be a great deal," exclaimed Tony King. 

*' Why, Tony," replied Uncle Benny, "an inch of raiii 
weighs more than a hundred tons to the acre, and is equal to 
nearly twenty-three thousand gallons. A watering-pot must 
have a big nozzle to discharge that quantity in an hour, as 
the clouds often do for us. This rain will be worth a great 
many thousands of dollars to the farmers about here, e.s- 
pecially if it should be followed by really fine weather. 

"Fine weather," he continued, "is a wonderful thing for 
the farmer ! — next among; his blessings to the Divine 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 175 

promise that seed-time and harvest should never fail. A 
single day of sunshine is considered worth ten millions of 
dollars to the farming interest of England in a season 
of doubtful harvests. There is said, in Europe at least, to 
be more war in a day's rain than in the ill-temper of the 
most quarrelsome monarch, and more peace in a morning's 
sunshine than even in a treaty of commerce ; because people, 
having their time occupied and their stomachs full, have 
neither leisure nor disposition to quarrel." 

"What can be the use of so much rain, Uncle Benny.?" 
''Use.''" returned the old man; "it has a thousand uses. 
Water is the great nourishment and stimulant of vegetation. 
Some plants will seem to live on water alone, neither need- 
ing nor receiving manure beyond what nature enables them 
to gather from the water below and the air above. Take 
one of your corn-hills as an illustration. The cornstalk 
stands exactly where it grew. It spreads its roots all around, 
but does not change its place. As it cannot travel about 
in search of food, such as it may need must therefore be 
brought to it. Who is to do this .'' Not you, because you 
supposed you had done all that was necessary when you 
planted the grain. It is water, the rain-water, that performs 
this important office of bringing to the plant the food which 
has been deposited in the soil. A mere sprinkle will not do 
this ; it must be just such a soaking shower as we are now 
having. Besides, water dissolves many substances which 



176 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

exist in the air as food for plants, — so graciously has 
Heaven provided, — and then, when these are brought 
into the soil by rains, they there come in contact with 
another set of substances which the plants require also, and 
the whole being thus combined and liquefied with water, 
they constitute the very food by which vegetation lives and 
grows. The water, thus saturated with vegetable food, 
travels along under ground, feeding the plants which Provi- 
dence requires to remain stationary. This is one of the 
great uses of so much rain." 

The next morning being bright and sunny, the old man 
piloted the boys into the two-acre cornfield they had planted. 
On the way thither they passed under a fine Mayduke cher- 
ry-tree, then loaded with delicious fruit. The rain and 
wind had shaken off quantities of cherries, which lay upon 
the ground. These the boys stopped to gather and eat, 
spitting out the stones in every direction. Noticing their 
actions. Uncle Benny spoke up: "Boys, when I was in 
Spain, I learned a proverb which has been in use in that 
country for centuries, — * He who plants trees loves others 
beside himself It means, that, as it takes nearly a lifetime 
for many trees to grow and produce fruit, the chance is that 
he who plants the tree will hardly live long enough to eat 
the product, and that he must therefore love those who are 
t3 come after him, or he would not plant trees of whose 
fruits they are more likely to partake than he. Now, when- 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 177 

ever a Spaniard eats a peach, a cherry, or a pear by the 
roadside, he works out a Httle hole in the ground with his 
foot, and plants the stone ; he thinks of those who are to 
come after him, — he loves others beside himself. It is a 
thank-offering to the memory of the kind soul by whom the 
tree was planted from which he has just eaten. Hence the 
roadsides throughout that beautiful country are lined with 
abundance of the most tempting fruits, all free to every one. 
Boys, not one of you has ever planted a tree. It is time for 
you to begin. I shall never live to gather the fruit, but 
all of you may be spared to do so. It is our duty to leave 
the world as good at least as we found it, — better if we can. 
I have no good opinion of the fellow who is content to snore 
under the shadow of a noble shade-tree without planting 
another for the next generation to enjoy, or to eat the fruit 
from trees which others have planted, without at some time 
imitating their example. The sooner one sows, the sooner 
will he reap. There, boys, right along the fence, two or 
three for each of you." 

Each boy struck his heel into the soft ground, made a 
slight hole, dropped into it a couple of cherry-stones, cov- 
ered them over, and pressed down the earth with his foot. 
It was certainly a very small affair, but it was nevertheless 
something for the boys. Each one could not help feel- 
ing that he had done a good deed, for he had planted a 
tree. 

12 



1^8 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

" O," exclaimed the old man, " what a country this would 
be if every owner of a farm would go and do likewise ! The 
roadsides would everywhere be lined with noble trees, glo- 
rious to look upon, grateful in their shadiness, and affording 
bountiful harvests of delightful fruit, free to the passing 
traveller, and yielding a profusion even to the birds. There 
would be plenty of fruit for all. Even the thieves who now 
prey upon the fruit-grower would have no further induce- 
ment to steal." 

Finding the ground too wet for hoeing, they deferred 
that operation for a week, when Tony ran twice over 
the cornfield with the cultivator, to mellow up the ground 
and cut off the weeds. Then all hands turned in with 
hoes to clean up the rows and give the corn its first hilling. 
Before undertaking this, Uncle Benny had brought a large 
file from his tool-chest, with which he had sharpened up 
the boys' hoes to such an edge as had never before been 
seen on Spangler's farm. The hoes were great, clumsy 
things, unfit for the hands of a small boy ; but they shaved 
off the weeds with so much ease that the excessive weight 
of the tool was forgotten in the sharpness of the edge In- 
stead of two or three chops being required to cut up a 
stout weed, a single clip went clean through it. There 
could be no doubt that the trifling work of filing enabled 
the boys to get over two or three times as much ground 
as if they had been working with dull hoes. There was a 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 79 

real economy of time in thus beginning right, besides com- 
fort, and a thorough execution done upon the weeds. 

The whole party worked together, each taking a row. 
Uncle Benny, having an old back, Vv'hich he knew would 
very soon begin to ache if he should stoop much, had pro- 
vided himself with a long-handled hoe. This enabling him 
to work without stooping, he flourished it about among the 
weeds so actively as to surprise the boys, who observed, more- 
over, that the old man contrived somehow to keep a little 
ahead of them all. Between the sharp hoes and the full 
force of hoers, the weeds had a poor chance of surviving 
that day. 

Presently the youngest boy, Bill, while chopping vigor- 
ously at a thistle, struck his hoe violently against a stone. 
He was about repeating the blow, when the old man called 
out to him to stop and examine his hoe. Bill did so, and 
found a great indentation had been made in the edge. The 
other boys of course came round to see what was the matter, 
and they too saw how the keen edge of the tool had been 
turned by the blow against the stone. 

" Now, Bill," said Uncle Benny, " pick up the stone, put 
it in your pocket, and when you get to the end of the row 
we '11 put it under the fence, where you may be sure it 
will not be likely to dull your hoe a second time. All of 
you must do the same with the stones or broken bricks or 
oyster-shells you meet with, as I won't have anvthing on 



I So FARMING FOR BOYS. 

this ground big enough to dull a hoe. If you calculate on 
having sharp tools, you must keep the ground clear." 

Such careful management was new to the boys, but they 
had equally been strangers to the luxury of a sharp hoe. 
Dull hoes, and plenty of brickbats to strike against, were 
regular incidents of their early agricultural education, and 
they now thought this new lesson of Uncle Benny was 
one of the queerest he had taught them. But they soon 
discovered there was something to be gained, for, on coming 
out at the end of his row, each boy found that he had three 
or four shells or stones in his pocket, all which were care- 
fully placed under the bottom rail of the fence. 

As all farm laborers have an hour allowed them for din- 
ner, there was time, after that meal, for Uncle Benny to 
sharpen their hoes again. The morning's exj.^. ence had 
made each boy a full convert to the new doctrine. Indeed, 
as they were taking up the line of march for the cornfield, 
for the afternoon's work, Tony inquired of the old man if 
it would n't be a good thing to put the file in his pocket 
and bring it along ; — the hoes might want sharpening 
again before night. During the afternoon's work there 
was a good deal of slashing among the stones, and an oc- 
casional demand for the file to retouch the hoes, which 
quite pleased the old man. 

Well, after w^orrying through some rows that were much 
fouler than the others, the parties drew up to the fence, 



FARMING FOR BOYS. iSl 

and Uncle Benny proceeded to file up the hoes for the 
second time that afternoon. He could see no actual ne- 
cessity for doing so, but thought it could do no harm to 
gratify the boys. While thus engaged, with his hoe rest- 
ing on the fence, which ran along the public road, a 
stranger stepped up, and inquired if he would like to buy 
some trees or grape-vines. At the same moment he opened 
a large book which he carried in his hand, and, resting it 
on the top rail of the fence, displayed a highly colored 
picture of a bunch of grapes, larger and finer in appearance 
than had ever been seen by any of the party. They all 
gathered round the book, as the man ran over the leaves 
with just enough deliberation to afford a full view of the- 
magnificent specimens it contained. There were great 
bunches of peaches, apples, plums, cherries, currants, and 
other fruits, colored up and set off in just such a style as 
would be likely to tempt every one who examined them 
to become a purchaser. 

Uncle Benny took the book in his hand, and made a 
long examination, during which the stranger was very lav- 
ish of his praise of each specimen as it fell under the old 
man's eye. Then addressing the stranger, he inquired, 
"Did you raise all these trees .'^" 

" O no," was the reply, " my business is to sell them." 

" Where were they grown } " inquired Uncle Benny. 

"Well, a good way off," answered the stranger. 



1 82 FARJ.IING FOR BOYS. 

" But don't you tell us where they were cultivated, and 
ivho is the nurseryman?" continued Uncle Benny. 

" Well, not often," was the answer. 

" No," rejoined the shrewd old man ; " I don't think we 
want to buy anything from a nurseryman who is ashamed 
of his name." 

He closed the book, returned it to the stranger, and 
resumed his business of touching up the hoes. When the 
stranger was fairly out of hearing, the old man addressed 
the boys : " This man is what is known as a tree-pedler. 
Now, Tony, if ever you get a farm of your own, take care 
how you buy anything from a tree-pedler. Things sold by 
these fellows are generally considered cheap because the 
price is low. But what is thus called a cheap tree or vine 
is the very dearest thing you can buy. You can't get a 
really valuable article without paying for it a fair price. 
Plants that are sold at an excessively low price should be 
avoided, as they invariably have some defect about them. 
They have either been badly grown, or been stunted, or 
have a poor supply of roots, or they are the refuse of a 
nursery which has been bought up by a pedler, to be worked 
off among the farmers. Especially you should never touch 
a plant, even as a gift, when the seller refuses to tell you 
where or by whom it was grown." ^ 

"But that was nice fruit that he showed in his book," 
interrupted Tony 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 83 

t 

"0 yes," replied Uncle Benny, "they looked very well 
on paper, like many other impositions. They sounded very 
cheap also, — peach-trees at three dollars a hundred, when 
the price is usually ten or twelve. Now, suppose I were to 
set out a hundred of these trees, saving five or six dollars 
in the price, and, after cultivating them two or three years, 
should then discover that, instead of their producing the 
fine fruit that was promised, it was scarcely good enough 
for the pigs .? There would be the loss of at least two years' 
time and labor, and all the money I had paid, besides the 
vexation which every one feels on discovering that he has 
been cheated. It would be even worse in the case of pear- 
trees, for there one has to wait longer for them to come into 
bearing. By saving ten cents in the purchase of a tree, 
he may find that, instead of the Bartlett he bargained for, 
he has been cheated into the purchase and cultivation of a 
choke-pear. It is the poorest sort of economy to buy cheap 
trees ; and it is sometimes dangerous to get them, even at 
full prices, from persons in whose character you do not 
have full confidence. But there are others who think just 
IS I do on this subject, as I will show you." 

Taking from his pocket a number of "The Country Gen- 
tleman," he read to them the following article: — 

"No man can obtain anything valuable without paying its 
full price. If he makes a purchase of a fine horse for a small 



184 FARMJXG FOR BOYS. 

sum, he will probably find that the horse has some hidden dis- 
ease, — heaves, founder, spavin, ringbone, — or else that he has 
obtained the name of a cheating horse-dealer, which is still more 
undesirable. If he attempts to build a house at a lower contract 
price than the builder can afford it, he will ultimately discover 
that a good deal of bad material has been used, or that he has a 
long string of extras, which, by dexterous contrivance, have been 
thnist in. It is so in buying fruit-trees. If a purchaser finds a 
lot offered at low retail prices, he will probably discover them to 
have been badly cultivated, neglected, moss-covered, or to have 
been carelessly dug up, with chopped roots, — or to consist of 
some unsalable varieties, or to have been poorly packed, or the 
roots left exposed till they have become dry and good for noth- 
ing. 

" Now, suppose a purchase is made of one of these trees at 
five cents below the regular market price among the best nursery- 
men. The owner congratulates himself on having effected a 
saving of the sum of five cents. Let us see how much he is likely 
to lose. If the tree is stunted, it will be at least three years 
before it can attain the vigor of its thrifty compeer. In other 
words, he sells three years of growth, three years of attention, if 
it gets any, three years of occupancy of the ground, and three 
years of delayed expectation, for the sum of five cents. Or 
suppose the tree has been purchased below price because it is 
the last in a pedler's wagon, and has been dried or frozen. The 
owner pays for the tree, digs a hole, and sets it out ; it will prob- 
ably die, — in which case he loses only what he has paid, the 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 85 

labor expended, and one year of lost time and expectation. He 
has gained nothing. If the tree lives, the former estimate will 
then apply. Or, again, suppose that he buys a tree, and saves 
five cents, as aforesaid, because the quality, or the sort, or the 
honesty of the dealer, as to its genuineness, may be question- 
able. After several years of waiting and labor, it turns out to 
be a poor sort, and the tree continues to bear this poor fruit for 
thirty years to come. The fruit, being unsalable, will probably 
bring no more than ten cents a bushel. In thirty years the 
average annual crop will be about three bushels, or ninety bush- 
els in all, equal to nine dollars total value. But if, instead of 
this miserable specimen, the purchaser procures a tree at full 
price, and one of the most productive and marketable varieties, 
the crop will always sell in market at twenty-five, and sometimes 
fifty, cents a bushel ; and for the whole thirty years will average 
at least eight bushels annually, — sixty dollars for the thirty 
years, at the lowest computation. There is a loss of fifty-one 
dollars made by purchasing the cheap tree, all for the sake of 
saving five cents." 

While the hoeing of this cornfield was going on, there 
was continual opportunity for observing the difference in 
growth of that end of the rows which received the drain- 
age from the barn-yard. The plants were double the height 
of the others, and there was a deep, rank green that was 
nowhere else perceptible. Here too the weeds grew taller 
and stouter, as well as more abundantly. Uncle Benny had^ 



1 86 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

always taught the boys that the greatness of a farmer's 
crop was not to be measured by the number of his acres, 
but by the thoroughness with which he enriched his land 
and the care bestowed upon the crop. His theory was 
to put a large amount of labor on a small amount of land. 
The two-acre cornfield was an excellent illustration of his 
theories. The boys saw for themselves that in that portion 
which received the washing from the barn-yard they would 
have a far greater crop than from the other portion, because 
of the full supply of manure which it received. Whenever 
he came to a remarkably fine hill of corn, the old man 
would tell them that the earth was really of no great use 
except to afford a standing-place for plants while the farmer 
was feeding them, and that money laid out in manure must 
not be considered as money lost, because it always repro- 
duced itself in the crop. He rarely gave chemical reasons, 
or used scientific terms, as the boys had had no knowledge 
of them. 

But he explained how it was that plants acquired their 
growth. The earth kept them in an upright position, but 
they grew by feeding on the fertilizing materials added to 
the soil from water, and from the air which surrounded them. 
Both air and water were indispensable ; hence the necessity 
for rain, and for the continued stirring up of the soil by 
harrowing the surface, so that the air should penetrate to 
the roots, and the water, in a heavy shower, should soak 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 18/ 

into the ground, instead of running off and wetting only the 
surface. Thus, if the day's hoeing was useful to the growing 
crop, it was made equally instructive to the minds of the 
boys, for a practical lecture was delivered on the spot, 
with fact and illustration united. Lessons thus learned 
are usually the most instructive, as well as most likely to 
be remembered. 

When the day's work was done, the old man sat down 
upon the stump of an apple-tree to rest, the boys gathering 
about him, and Tony asked, " Uncle Benny, how much 
money can an acre of ground be made to produce?" 

" Ah," replied the old man, " you ask me too much. It 
would require a great book to answer that question, and 
even then it would be only half answered. I do not think 
the capacity of an acre of ground has ever been ascertained. 
You do not put the question in the right way. It is not 
the acre that produces the crop, but the man who cultivates 
the acre. All agricultural history is full of instances of this 
being the case. There are families who starve on fifty 
acres, while there are others who live comfortably on one 
or two. But another time we '11 look a little further into 
this question, for it is one that a farmer's boy should have 
answered as promptly as possible. There are grown-up 
people, too, who would be benefited by examining the sub- 
ject more closely than they have been in the habit of 
doing." 



1 88 FARMING FOR BOYS. 



CHAPTER X II. 

A GREAT Brier-Patch. — Putting it to good Use. — Amazing the 

Neighbors. 

/^~\N Spangler's unwieldy farm of a hundred acres there 
^-^ was a large piece of neglected land, which had long 
been known as the " old field." For many years it had been 
grown up with common wild blackberries, which so com- 
pletely occupied the ground that almost every other kind 
of plant was smothered out. There were a few straggling 
grape-vines among the dense mass of briers, but these could 
not have survived had they not been able to climb to the. 
top of the blackberries, and so get up into air and sunshine. 
Neither man nor boy had ever been able to traverse this 
immense thicket. Hence it was selected by the birds for 
building their nests in summer, and by rabbits as a hid- 
ing-place in winter. It was therefore a choice neighbor- 
hood for the boys to set their traps and snares, and many 
a fine stew for dinner did they secure by thus trapping its 
timid inhabitants. 

One day in July, Uncle Benny and the boys were walk- 
ing on the outside of this great brier-patch, and wondering 
at the immense crop of berries it was producing. The tall 
canes had shot away up above their heads, and were bending 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 89 

Jown with a heavy load of fruit, forming, with the old 
canes, a tangled mass of dead and living wood, into which 
110 one could force his way. They could reach the fruit 
on the outside of the patch, and here they stopped, and 
began to pick and eat. This the boys and girls of Span- 
gler's family had been in the habit of doing as long as 
they could remember, without any thought of turning the 
great crop upon the " old field " to any other use. 

" Boys," said Uncle Benny, " there is a good deal of mon- 
ey in this brier-patch, if you only knew it, all of which is 
now going to waste." 

"What do you mean. Uncle Benny.''" inquired Tony 
King. 

" Why," rejoined the old man, " have them picked, and 
sent to Trenton market." 

Here was a new idea for the boys to entertain ; for they 
had all their lives seen the great annual crop going to waste. 
But they followed the matter up, and talked it over, until 
they finally determined to take the old man's advice. The 
thing had to be made a partnership affair, in which all the 
boys and girls of the family were to be equally interested ; 
so the Spangler girls were enlisted in the cause, they agree- 
ing to assist in picking the berries, if the boys would see 
to naving them taken to market. As these young people 
very rarely had any spending-money in their pockets, the 
piospect of making a dollar or two apiece was a great 



1 90 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 



stimulant to exertion. If the boys wanted to buy any 
little notion, the girls were just as anxious to have some 
hits of finery for themselves. 

The whole party were therefore up every morning by 
daybreak, picking blackberries. It was a rather scratchy 




\ /;■'. 



kind of work, as the briers upon the untrimmed bushes 
lacerated their hands, and tore a good many holes in frocks 
and aprons. Each picker strove to push himself into the 
patch as far as possible, anxious to reach the fruit ; but 
the farther he pushed in the worse it was for him. 



FAKMiM. FOR BUYS. IQI 

Rill Spangler, the youngest boy, as well as the smallest 
and most adventurous, had a particular ambition for creeping 
into certain openings among the bushes, and thus succeed- 
ed in securing more berries than the others. But on one 
of these adventures the briers unfortunately laid hold of 
the hinder part of his thin summer pantaloons, and main- 
tained so firm a grip, that, in tearing himself loose, and 
getting fairly outside among the others, his sister Nancy 
told him that his covering was so ragged that she was 
ashamed of him. Even Uncle Benny, whenever Bill was 
looking another way, could n't help pointing with his cane 
at the fellow's rags, and laughing quite out ; and as the 
others enjoyed the joke as fully as he did, they had a merry 
time over Bill's misfortune. The plain truth was, that sev- 
eral inches of Bill's shirt had escaped through a huge rent, 
and, abandoning its proper place of confinement, was dan- 
gling out of doors. 

They secured, nevertheless, a large quantity of berries, as 
ihe "old field" covered full six acres, and it was a long 
stretch to go round it. Then they were able to do this 
three days during every week that the fruit was ripening. 
But it was very trying work, much more so than if the 
canes had been planted in regular rows, and trimmed and 
kept snug. 

Uncle Benny had promised them he would see to taking 
the berries to market, and having them sold. This he did 



192 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

faithfully, as he was anxious to do all he could to train up 
these young people, girls as well as boys, in habits of in- 
dustry and thrift. The very first week's picking produced 
a sum so large that every one of the party had over two 
dollars to his share. Then the next week did even better. 

It was curious to see how this unexpected acquisition 
of a little money affected these young people. It filled a 
great gap in the longing heart of Tony King. They were 
so unused to having any, that they scarcely knew what to 
do with it, and appeared to think the only use for money 
was to spend it. A dozen different schemes were formed 
as to • spending, as the idea of saving had not entered the 
mind of any one of them. But Uncle Benny cautioned 
them not to be in a hurry, and to hold on to their cash, at 
least until they had done picking. Some had desired him 
to buy one thing or another in Trenton, and bring it home 
to them, but he never did so. He thought that, if they could 
be got through the first feverish excitement of success, they 
would be more manageable in future. 

The great fruit-growers of our country, who cultivate 
from ten to • twenty acres of the most valuable varieties of 
the blackberry, may smile at this small beginning of the 
Spanglers on a patch of common wild ones. But they must 
remember that the public never had a taste of these im- 
proved varieties until within a few years, and that, until 
they did come into notice, everybody was satisfied with 



FARMING FOR BOYS. I93 

the uncultivated fruit that sprung up along neglected 
hedge-rows, or in such old fields as had been abandoned to 
ihem. These children were only doing in one place what 
hundreds of others were doing in many other places where 
a rnarket was within reach. The consumers, as well as the 
pickers, were satisfied with this coarse fruit. Being thus a 
good bargain for both parties, the trade was kept up wher- 
ever the common blackberry was near enough to market. 

There are sections of our country in which this business 
of gathering wild fruit is an important item toward the 
maintenance of many families. They look to the black- 
berry harvest as a certain income. Entire households, 
men as well as women, abandon all other employments, 
and take to picking berries. They need not carry them 
to the cities to find purchasers, but meet with wholesale 
city buyers at every railroad station. These pay cash to 
the industrious pickers, and forward the fruit to market, 
where it is retailed at a higher price. They have their 
profit, of course, but the pickers have a better one, because 
the fruit costs nothing beyond the labor of gathering it ; 
and this division of labor and profit is sufficiently remuner- 
ative to keep the business going from year to year, not- 
withstanding the extensive introduction of superior varieties. 
If it were not for this division, it is probable that the great 
cities would be compelled to do without much of the fruh 
they now consume. 
13 



194 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

But this gathering up of wild fruit by poor families is 
not confined to the blackberry. The woods of New Jersey 
are annually ransacked for the huckleberry, of which as- 
tonishing quantities are collected and sent to market, pro- 
ducing very serviceable amounts of money to the industri- 
ous pickers. The wild cranberry is also gathered in large 
quantities by the same class of people. These successive 
harvests, which Providence bountifully prepares for those 
who dwell in huts and shanties on the borders of civiliza- 
tion, are as much depended on as are the wheat and corn 
crops of the most extensive farmer. 

Uncle Benny knew all about these things, and was de- 
termined to make them contribute to what he considered 
a praiseworthy ambition of the Spanglers to make a little 
money for themselves. Some of the boys wanted books, 
and tools, and other juvenile notions, while the girls had 
a dozen matters of their own to be supplied with. He 
thought this " old field " might be turned to great account, 
and hence his recommendation that the boys should not 
be in a hurry to spend their money, as he had a plan of 
his own in relation to making the "old field" a really profit- 
able affair to them. He was satisfied there was a fair 
chance by which to make the very beginning they had al) 
been striving after. 

When the blackberry crop had all been picked and sold, 
everybody on the farm was surprised at hearing that it footed 



FARMING FOR BOYS. I95 

up sixty dollars, clear of all expenses. It was really so much 
money found ; for though the " old field " had ripened prob- 
ably fifty crops, not a cent's worth had ever been turned into 
cash. What the family had not picked for their own use had 
been taken by the birds or wasps, or perished on the bushes. 
Philip Spangler was particularly astonished at the result. He 
said it would pay a half-year's interest on his mortgage. 

" Yes," observed Uncle Benny in reply, " I can make this 
brier-patch pay interest and principal too, if you will only 
allow me to do what I please with it." 

Spangler readily agreed that he should do as he desired, 
and a regular bargain was made between them on the subject. 
Uncle Benny was to have entire control of the blackberry 
field ; he was to get what he could from it, and, after retaining 
three fourths of the profit for the boys, the other fourth was 
to be paid to Spangler, who pledged himself that it should be 
applied to paying off the mortgage on the farm. 

The history of this " old field " of six acres is so remarkable 
that it may as well be related now. It will be remembered 
that it was only from the edges or outskirts that any fruit had 
been gathered. All the interior of the field was filled with 
bushes nearly as productive as those upon the margin, but it 
was impossible to reach them. Uncle Benny made a calcula- 
tion as to how many rows of canes he could make by cutting 
away open spaces ten feet wide from one side of the field to 
the other. He then compared the result ^\ith the length of 



196 , FARMING FOR BOYS. 

margin from, which they had been picking, and satisfied him- 
self, that, if that had produced sixty dollars, he could get a 
sufficient length of picking surface to make the " old field " pay 
almost as good a profit as was made on half of the entire farm. 
There was the ground already planted with bearing canes, 
and nothing more was needed than to transform it from a 
field of wild blackberries into a cultivated one. 

He was satisfied that he knew how to make the change. 
He was sure there would be all the fruit he wanted, and that 
cultivation would cause the berries to grow larger and look 
nicer, and therefore to bring a higher price. Besides, he had 
quietly consulted the market-men in Trenton about what he 
intended to do, for he was a little in doubt as to their being 
willing to buy the immense quantity of berries he expected 
to have another year. He was somewhat uncertain as to 
there being mouths enough to consume his crop. But they 
all smiled at the idea of his being able to raise more than 
they could sel). and told him to go ahead, as they would take 
twice as large a crop as he could turn in. It seems that one 
of them was concerned in a great canning establishment, 
where thousands of quarts were preserved in glass jars for dis- 
tribution over the country, and he was assured that this con- 
cern alone could take all that he might be able to produce. 

This fear of glutting the fruit market is a very common 
one with people who know nothing of the business ; but it 
never troubles those who have been a lifetime engaged in it 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 97 

Where to find a market occasions them no distress. Theii 
only concern is how to produce the fruit, as it may be said to 
be all sold even before it has been grown ; that is, when one 
is located near a great market. Uncle Benny's doubts being 
thus dispelled, he went to work immediately by hiring two 
men for the job, who began as soon as the leaves had fallen. 

As before said, this immense brier-patch covered six acres 
of ground, about twice as long as it was wide. He directed 
the men to make openings ten feet wide clear across the 
width, leaving a narrow row of canes. They went in with 
sharp brier scythes, and rapidly cut down everything before 
them ; though it was tearing and scratching work for hands 
and clothes, as many years' growth of dead and hard wood 
had to come away. Then the trimmings were piled on a cart, 
and brought out, and thrown into an immense heap, where 
they were burned. Then all the dead wood was cut out from 
the rows thus left standing, and the new canes were short- 
ened wherever they had grown too high. This trash was 
also carted away and burned. When this thorough cleaning 
up and trimming had been completed, every row looked as 
nice and snug as any of the great fields of the improved kinds 
of blackberries which are now so common. Where vacant 
places occurred in the rows, they were filled by setting in new 
roots. The spaces between the rows were then gone over 
with a double plough, which tore up thousands of old roots, 
and this being several times followed by a two liorse harrow, it 



ig8 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

loosened and released a multitude of others, — so many, in' 
deed, as to require the mass to be raked up and carted away. 

But when these several operations had been as carefully 
carried out as Uncle Benny required them to be, the whole 
field looked more like a garden than any spot on the farm. 
It was really beautiful to see how perfectly straight the rows 
of canes stretched across the field, and how mellow was the 
soil between them, not a root or weed being visible. It was 
with immense satisfaction that the old man viewed the com- 
plete realization of his plans. It took some weeks to carry out 
this regenerating process, besides costing considerable money, 
— all which he cheerfully advanced, on the credit of the next 
crop. 

But he declared that the satisfaction he enjoyed at seeing 
a wilderness converted into a fruit field was compensation 
enough. It was a greater pleasure to him to spend money 
in improvements of this description than it could possibly be 
to others to hoard it. 

Spangler had seen the operation going on, but said little, 
except dropping a remark occasionally about how much 
money it was costing. Improvement was altogether out of 
his line. But one day when Uncle Benny happened to be 
contemplating, by himself, this triumph of his ideas, he was 
suddenly accosted with : 

" Well, well, what a spot of work this is ! " 

Looking round, he discovered their neighbor, Mr. Allen, 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 1 99 

who, until that moment, had seen nothing of Uncle Benny's 
operations on the brier-patch. He seemed confounded with 
the spectacle before him. 

"Why, Uncle Benny, you beat me all to pieces! This 
is the completest piece of workmanship ever done in the 
country. I give you credit for your good judgment, as well 
as for your courage, and, what is more, this thing is going 
to pay. It is a big job, I know ; but the more of it the 
better for you." 

Spangler came up while Mr. Allen was thus speaking, 
but made no remark, though Mr. Allen's emphatic indorse- 
ment of Uncle Benny's work had its effect upon \as gener- 
ally slow perceptions. 

" What a mass of manure you have in the bottom of this 
brier-patch!" he continued. "I have known it thirty years, 
exactly as it was before you reclaimed it. Thirty or more 
crops of wood and leaves have fallen and decayed on this 
ground, perhaps fifty ; and, now that you have so thinned 
out the plants as to have only one to feed where there used 
to be fifty, you will need no manure for years to come." 

But the fame of this undertaking spread all over the 
neighborhood, it being an unheard-of thing among the 
owners of brier-patches. Many persons came to see it, 
and various opinions were expressed as to what was likely 
to be the end of it. The principal anxiety was as to how 
much it cost. They could all understand about that, *)ut 



200 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

not one of them could see that the money expended could 
ever be made to come back. As to investing money in 
new undertakings upon faith, that was not in their line. 
Generally, they knew too much about blackberries ; so that 
Uncle Benny never had the satisfaction of hearing that any 
one had pluck enough to follow his example. 

But that absence of encouragement was of no importance 
to him. He had a mind and a will of his own ; he did n't 
pin his faith on any man's judgment; he knew what he 
was about ; he had a little money to invest, and it was of 
no consequence whether other folks approved of his doings 
or not. Plow far he was correct will be set forth in a fu- 
ture chapter. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 20I 



CHAPTER XIII. 

How THE Pets succeeded. — Going to the Fair. — A Young Horsi 
Race. — Trying for a Premium. 

T T must not be supposed that, during all this period, fron 
-'- spring to fall, the boys had neglected giving their pigs 
and pigeons whatever care they needed. The pigeons had 
long been released from their prison in the loft, and now 
went and came as they pleased. They flew away over the 
farm, picking up the seeds of weeds, and, so far as could be 
discovered, were doing no injury to the crops. Not one of 
the neighbors had complained of them. Even Farmer 
Spangler could find no fault, though he had so stubbornly 
resisted their introduction on the premises. On the con- 
trary, he began to think they were very convenient things to 
have about ; for as they had hatched out and reared several 
pairs of squabs, Uncle Benny had been shrewd enough to 
have the boys present a couple of them to Mrs. Spangler, who 
served them up in a pie for her husband's dinner. 

This little stroke of the old man had a prodigious effect 
on Spangler's opinions as to the value of pigeons on a farm, 
as many of his seemed to be formed in his stomach instead 
of in his brain. Moreover, he was particularly fond of pot- 
pie. Uncle Benny being aware of this weakness, and know- 



202 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 



mg also that the most direct way to a man's good opinion 
is in the direction of his stomach, he thought the offering 
of one or two pairs of squabs on the altar of Spangler's 
appetite would be about the cheapest form of conciliation 




he could adopt. But Uncle Benny is not the first person 
who has discovered the power of a good dinner in carrying 
a favorite point. 

The boys kept their pigeon-loft as clean as possible, and 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 203 

stored up a considerable quantity of manure that was almost 
equal to guano. The floor was constantly supplied with 
gravel, lumps of clay, or common soil, and salt. These 
were not needed for the older birds, which ranged over the 
farm, as they could find all such materials for themselves, 
except the salt. But such articles are indispensable to 
the health of a pigeon, hence it is better to provide them 
where they can be handy. In a pigeon-loft there are 
always some young birds called squeakers. These are such 
as have outgrown the condition of squabs, and, having all 
their feathers, have left the nest to run about the loft, with- 
out as yet having courage enough to use their wings out 
of doors. Such must be carefully looked after until able 
to fly out and shift for themselves. 

Pigeons living a reasonable distance from the ocean, or 
from salt marshes, obtain salt by drinking freely of the briny 
water. They have been known to swallow snails for the 
sake of the materials contained in the shells. In chalky 
countries they pick up the chalk as it lies on the ground 
They are also very fond of certain fragrant matters, such as 
lavender, which they often break off, and carry to their 
nests. When these necessaries are not provided for them, 
they can be easily enticed off to some other home where 
such luxuries are kept on hand. 

It is a well-known trick of pigeon fanciers to draw to 
their premises their neighbors' birds by keeping a good 



204 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

supply of what they call " salt cat." This is made by taking 
a barrel full of loam, and converting it into mud by mix- 
ing up old brine in which meat has been pickled. Then 
a gallon of coarse sand, a peck of salt, and a little saltpetre. 
If some cummin seed or lavender is worked in it will be 
better ; in fact, anything to give the compound a pretty 
strong smell, so much the more will it be relished. Then 
keep it under cover, and no birds can be enticed away to 
other roosts. Various preparations of " salt cat " are in use. 
some of which are very far from being as fragrant as an 
orange blossom or a rose. On the contrary, experience has 
proved that the worse they smell the better the birds like 
them. 

So far the boys found it the easiest thing in the world to 
raise pigeons, as the rearing of the young gave them no 
trouble. Plenty to eat and drink, with constant cleanliness, 
was all that was needed. At six months old the new broods 
began to go in pairs, each laying a couple of eggs. In eigh- 
teen days after the laying of the second egg, the young were 
hatched. Thus their flock went on increasing, until it made 
a very respectable show when its members came down from 
their perches to take part in the several distributions of corn 
among the poultry ; but they would have to wait another 
year before having any to sell. 

It was not quite so encouraging with Nancy and the pigs. 
The whole brood, excepting three that died, increased pro- 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 20$ 

digiously in size, as they were well taken care of, Bill contin- 
uing to curry them daily. To perform this now extensive 
duty more easily, he mounted an old curry-comb on the end 
of a long stick ; and, taking both hands to it, he was able to do 
a great amount of currying in a very short time. It was 
laughable to witness the movements of the pigs the moment 
Bill showed himself and his currying-stick alongside of the 
pen. They ran, grunting, to where he stood, lay down on 
their sides, and waited patiently for him to begin operations. 
It was much easier to tire out Bill than it was to tire out 
them, for they never had too much of it. Every one who saw 
the pigs, even their neighbors the Aliens, declared they had 
never seen such silken-coated animals as these, all occasioned 
by clean keep and regular currying. Uncle Benny one day 
told the boys that, if Bill continued to push them forward at 
that rate, he did n't know but he should think of taking them 
to the county fair, and enter them as candidates for the pre- 
mium. 

But the pen in which the boys had begun this operation 
of pig-raising was now found to be too small. So, as they 
had considerable money laid by from the blackberries. Uncle 
Benny told them they must- use a portion of it in putting up 
a new pen. It was partly for this purpose that he had urged 
them to save it. It is true that he had given way to their 
impc^tunities so far as to buy something for each, — one 
wanted a cap, another a whip, and the third would have a 



206 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

parcel of books. He insisted on being the general cash- 
keeper, but required each one to have a regular account of 
how much he was entitled to, and how it was laid out. Thus, 
in addition to teaching them the importance of economy, he 
taught them the first lessons in book-keeping. 

A quantity of boards being purchased, the boys quickly 
constructed a new and much larger pen. The old man had 
consented to their joining funds and buying a very complete 
set of tools ; and, by help of these and his instructions, they suc- 
ceeded in getting up as handsome a pen as any of the neigh- 
boring farmers could boast of, even before it had been well 
whitewashed. There was a covered sleeping-place provided, 
so that in wet weather the pigs could keep themselves dry ; 
and a door, through which Bill could get in without climbing 
over the fence. Then the old hogshead was removed, the 
ugly patchwork fence taken down, and a thorough clearing 
up made of the ground. This resulted in a great collection 
of manure, which was added to a very respectable pile from 
the same prolific manufactory. 

" Nothing like pigs ! " exclaimed Uncle Benny to the boys, 
as he surveyed the huge compost heap. "They earn their 
living without knowing it. I must have some of this on our 
blackberries, — at least one row must be supplied with it, just 
to show you the difference between high culture and only 
half culture." ^ 

It turned out that Uncle Benny's remark about taking 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 207 

some of the pigs to the fair had some meaning in it, for he 
now made up his mind that he would do so. He looked over 
the printed list of premiums for different animals, and found 
that whoever should exhibit the four best pigs of a certain 
age should have a premium of three dollars. Now, the 
amount was very small, and really not worth the trouble and 
cost of taking four pigs some ten miles to the fair, even if one 
succeeded in securing it. But the old man explained to 
the boys that there would be a great deal of honor gained 
by taking the premium. That was worth much more than 
the money. Besides, a premium animal always attracted 
great notice from those who attended, and it generally sold 
at a high price. Many persons went to such gatherings on 
purpose to buy fine animals ; and, even if they failed of secur- 
ing the premium, they still might get a good price for ihe 
pigs. 

Well, as it had been already determined that the boyc 
should go that fall to the fair, it was resolved to compete for 
the premium. So the four best pigs were put in a pen by 
themselves, and then began a course of high feeding that had 
never been practised on Spangler's farm. Uncle Benny 
bought from the Trenton butcher, about once a week, a 
barrelful of bones having considerable meat left on them, 
sheeps' heads and cows' heels, with now and then a pluck ; 
and, in fact, whatever offal the butcher made. These he had 
boiled up into soup, with a sprinkling of corn-meal and mill- 



208 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

feed, and served it out warm, three times a day ; giving just 
as much as the pigs wanted, but no more. It was amazing 
what an effect this meat-soup diet produced. The pigs grew 
so rapidly as to confound Farmer Spangler, who had always 
been a poor sort of provider. They became fairly round with 
fat ; and, when the proper time arrived, they were put into a 
wagon and taken to the fair, where the committee placed 
them in a pen by themselves, with this label, written in large 
letters, directly in front : — 

CHESTER-COUNTY WHITES. 

FOUR FIGS FROM THE SAME LITTER, FIVE MONTHS OLD. 

RAISED BY JOSEPH AND WILLIAM SPANGLER, 
AND ANTHONY KING. 

V^Tien thus disposed of, Uncle Benny and the boys strolled 
leisurely around the enclosure to see what other folks had 
brought. They naturally looked into the pig department 
first, but could find nothing that came anywhere up to 
theirs, though a large number had been entered for the 
prize. Uncle Benny declared that he began to think there 
might be a chance for their getting it. Then they wan- 
dered all over the grounds, examining the multitude of 
animals, of implements, vegetables, fruits, and other useful 
and ornamental things that were on exhibition. Uncle Ben- 
ny pointed out to them the useful novelties, as well as the 
improved agricultural implements, and explained how they 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 209 

operated, and why they were better than those they had 
at home. 

The older boys were deeply interested in all they saw ; 
but Bill Spangler broke away every half-hour, to run off 
and see the pigs. Every time he came back he reported 
to Uncle Benny that there was a considerable crowd gath- 
ered round the pen, some of whom were inquiring where 
Mr. Spangler and Mr. King could be found. These re- 
peated announcements excited even Uncle Benny's curi- 
osity ; so he gradually edged round toward the pen, and, 
sure enough, there was a real crowd of people admiring 
the pigs ! In the centre of the group he observed two or 
three fussy, important-looking men, with paper and pencil 
in their hands. These were the judges, who were just 
then going the rounds of the fair to decide as to who were 
to have the different premiums, but that important an- 
nouncement would not be made until the next morning. 

In the course of their wanderings over the fair grounds 
they came suddenly to a great open space, — a huge circle, 
surrounded by a low fence. On the outside of this fence 
an immense number of men and women were collected, all 
crowding upon each other to get a view of at least a dozen 
persons, in light sulkies, who were trotting horses at the 
top of their speed around the circle. It was a fine gravel 
road, made expressly for fast driving. 

The boys looked on with the utmost enjoyment. They 
H 



2IO FARMING FOR BOYS. 

had never seen such fast driving before, except when a 
horse was running away. Then they were in continual fear 
lest one sulky would run into another and cause a smash- 
up, they came so near together. Every now and then 
there was a shout and a hurrah from the spectators ; and 
at the same time the women waved their handkerchiefs 
as if somebody had done something wonderful. Bill Span- 
gler suddenly turned round to the old man, and in- 
quired, — 

" Why, Uncle Benny, ain't this a horse-race ? " 
"Well," replied Uncle Benny, "this is what the society 
calls *a trial of speed.' Don't call it a horse-race, or some 
of the managers might hear you. I know these fairs would 
be dull things if no fast horses were to be exhibited, and 
I am afraid they are becoming mere excuses for horse- 
racing. But everybody seems to expect it. Look at the 
number of people who stand round this fence, gaping for 
hours together at nothing more than a parcel of trotting- 
horses, driven as fast as they can be made to go. At least 
one half of the spectators are women ; and, taken all togeth- 
er, there are three times as many people now round this 
fence, enjoying the races, as there are on the rest of the 
ground. I think the managers should change the name 
of their shows, and call them the annual county horse- 
race." 

But the boys soon tired of a display that had so little to 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 211 

interest them ; and, as it was now drawing toward sundown, 
they turned away, and started for home. It had been a 
somewhat tiresome day, as well as very hot and dusty, as 
fair-days generally are. Still, they had enjoyed it greatly, 
as boys, when bent on pleasure, do not seem to care whether 
it rains or snows, or whether the day be fair or hot or 
dusty, — all is about the same to them. 

The next morning they returned, and found a crowd even 
greater than on the preceding day. The first place they 
visited was the pig department ; for, as their treasures were 
there, so did their hearts yearn toward it. As they ap- 
proached the pen where their pets had been deposited they 
found quite a number of persons gathered in front of it, 
some of whom were reading a paper which had been stuck 
on the post, and which read thus : — 

First Premium, — Chester Whites. 

The boys hardly knew what to make of it, but Uncle 
Benny explained to them that they had really taken the 
first premium. Their surprise and gratification knew no 
bounds, while Uncle Benny himself did not fail to experience 
a degree of pleasure which fully rewarded him for all the 
care and trouble he had given to the undertaking from the 
beginning. 

" Where is Mr. Spangler, the owner of these pigs ? " in- 
quired a well-dressed gentleman in the crowd. " I want 
to see him." 



212 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

"Here he is," replied Uncle Benny, taking Bill Spangler 
oy the arm, and bringing him forward, very much to his 
confusion. 

"What, my lad, did you raise these fine pigs .^ " inquired 
the gentleman. 

"Well, I helped to, sir," replied Bill. 

"I want to buy them, and will give you ten dollars 
apiece," added the gentleman. 

Bill was more confused than ever, and turned to Uncle 
Benny for relief, as the other boys had nothing to say, none 
of them being used to making bargains. 

"You can have them, sir," said Uncle Benny. 

"And cheap enough, my boys," added a voice in the 
crowd, which they recognized as that of their neighbor, Mr. 
Allen. " You deserve great praise for what you have done. 
I never saw finer pigs in my life. Do equally well another 
year, and you will get your names up." 

The gentleman counted out forty dollars into Uncle 
Benny's hand, which' he folded up, and put into his pocket. 
But if the taking of the premium had surprised the boys, 
the getting of so large a price really astonished them. But 
the old man afterwards explained to them that anything 
on which a great amount of care had been bestowed was 
generally sure to bring with it a good reward. He had no 
doubt it would be so with their cornfield, their blackberry 
patch, and, in fact, with everything else to which they might 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 213 

devote their utmost care and attention. It was the pains- 
taking boy or girl who went ahead, while the lazy and 
the slattern fell behind. 

When the party reached home, and told Farmer Spangler 
that their pigs had taken the prize, and been sold for forty 
dollars, he was even more astonished than themselves. 
Uncle Benny was afterwards satisfied that from that very 
day he could see a change in Spangler's conduct and dis- 
position. The success of the boys had been so decided 
that he could not help acknowledging it, and on every 
proper occasion showed a much greater willingness to take 
the old man's advice as to how things ought to be done on 
the farm. 

But this was not the last of these surprises. The next 
day several persons called at Farmer Spangler's to buy pigs. 
They had seen the four prize ones at the fair, and wanted 
to have the same breed. So it continued for a w^eek or 
two, — people were continually coming who wanted to buy. 
l"he whole stock could have been disposed of, even Nancy 
herself, but Uncle Benny declined selling. He told the 
boys that, now their name was up, they must go in for rais- 



214 FARMING FOR BOYS. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Harvesting Corn. — Taking care of Blackberries. — Winter Sports 
AND Winter Evenings. — Planting Strawberries and Raspberries. 
— Getting the best Tools. 

T T was manifest that this lucky pork speculation had the 
^ happiest effect on Farmer Spangler's temper. Heretofore 
he had merely consented to the various jobs which Uncle 
Benny had laid out for his party to do, and had never entered 
kindly into their plans, but had rather objected, more or less 
strongly, to their being carried out. But the result of their 
good management, carried on directly under his own notice, 
where he had a daily view of its progress, and turned to 
golden account, could not be overlooked, even by one who was 
so firmly set in the neglectful habits of a lifetime. Thus 
when Uncle Benny and the boys started off to begin husking, 
Farmer Spangler volunteered to turn in and help. With so 
strong a force as they now had, they made short work of a 
two-acre field. 

But Uncle Benny made use of the occasion to point out to 
Spangler the prominent features of the crop ; how that por- 
tion of the ground which had received the wash of the barn- 
yard was of unrivalled excellence. The stalks that grew 
there had produced more ears, and of better size. Spangler 
had to admit that it was the best two-acre crop ever raised on 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 



215 



tne farm. It meaFured up a little over one hundred bushels 
of shelled com, — an amount that satisfied him the boys would 
be able to pay back all they had borrowed. Besides, it had 
been cut and stacked in the rio^ht time, so as to make the 
best quality of winter fodder. 




This corn crop was, of course, a jomparatively small thing 
on a large farm. But it was really something realized out of 
nothing, — that is, it was a grain crop produced whee nothing 



2l6 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

but a weed crop had been allowed to grow. It was really so 
much corn found. If Uncle Benny had not been about, there 
would have been weeds instead of grain. Its principal value 
consisted in the lessons of care, economy, clean tillage, and 
manuring which its cultivation had been the means of teach- 
ing the boys, to which may be added the powerful spur it 
gave to their ambition to do something for themselves. It 
was one of several subjects to occupy their minds, to think of, 
and to fill up spare hours agreeably, all having the character 
of home employments. 

Uncle Benny's theory was, as before mentioned, that if a 
boy's home on the farm were only made attractive, he could 
never be induced to wander off to the city, or to other equally 
undesirable locations. He considered the hope of making a 
little pocket money was one of the greatest home attractions 
that could be invented, and he was desirous of proving that 
it could be realized in the country as certainly as in the city. 
Young people being naturally active, as well as unsettled in 
their views, must be provided with something to do, some- 
thing useful, honorable, and profitable. 

Spangler continued to assist until the corn was safe in the 
crib, and the fodder stacked about the barn. 

" I don't know what you won't make of these boys, Uncle 
Benny," he observed, when the job had been completed. 

" Why, Mr. Spangler," replied the old man, " these are men 
in embryo. I want boys to be boys, not old or wise too soon 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 217 

but giving evidence of being true to themselves and to the 
wishes of their friends. I like a rough-and-tumble boy, full 
of fun and spirit. But all such can be trained and taught to 
become, not only little gentlemen, but to be capable of taking 
care of themselves. These boys already show the coming 
manhood in their behavior, and if you do your duty toward 
them, they may live to be a great comfort to you. If you 
will let me have my own way with them, at least in some 
things, I think another year will make a far better show than 
even this one has done." 

" Well, Uncle Benny, I begin to believe it," he replied. " I 
guess you 'd better keep on, and do as you like." 

There were several little jobs about the farm which Uncle 
Benny wanted done before winter set in, as then the boys 
would be resuming their places at school. One of these was 
manuring a portion of the great blackberry-patch. He con- 
sidered the clearing and cultivation of that patch as really a 
serious undertaking, something a little out of his line, and 
rather an experiment. He felt, also, that his character as a 
teacher of sound doctrine was somewhat at stake, and that on 
no account must he make a failure. The whole neighborhood 
was aware of what he had done, and expected to have a good 
laugh over the bad luck they had promised him ; for he well 
knew that most persons take especial delight in ridiculing 
whatever looks like a failure. 

As to the bushes, he was sure they would produce a large 



2l8 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

crop, as the blackberry may be said to be an unfailing bearer. 
But, in addition to securing that, he was desirous of ascertain- 
ing whether the wild berry could n't be very much improved 
in size by extra manuring. He thought it could ; and if that 
were so, his idea was that the increased price which the 
improved fruit would command in market would more than 
refund the cost of manure. It was so with other plants, and 
ought to be the same with any wild berry. 

The boys readily entered into these views, taking it for 
granted that the old man was right. But Farmer Spangler 
thought very differently, and concluded it would be a shame- 
ful waste of manure. He did n't believe that taking so much 
pains with wild blackberries would ever come to anything. 

But Uncle Benny carried out his project. Two rows 
received a heavy dressing from the pig-pen ; two others were 
copiously dressed with the green sand-marl which has 
achieved such wonders for every part of New Jersey where 
that cheap fertilizer has been freely used ; and two more rows 
were dressed with a mixture from the pig-pen combined with 
Baugh's Rawbone Superphosphate, — about a barrel of the 
Rawbone to three or four cart-loads of manure. 

This Rawbone Superphosphate was an artificial fertilizer 
of which Uncle Benny had heard great things said. Mr. 
Allen had used it for several years with the best results, 
and gave it the highest character. All the other really 
good farmers in the neighborhood considered it indispen- 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 2l9 

sable to success. It originated in Philadelphia, where it 
is still manufactured in immense quantities, and is made 
of raw bones, that is, bones which have not been deprived 
of their gristle, meat, or marrow by boiling. They are 
dissolved, or softened, in acid, and then ground up into a fine 
powder. Their powerful effects on most crops had been 
so thoroughly proved that Uncle Benny was determined 
to treat his wild blackberries to a good dose. He knew 
enough of agricultural chemistry to feel sure that a fertilizer 
of this character must necessarily be extremely serviceable 
to any kind of crop, whether wild or tame. 

That winter the boys spent at school. In addition to 
all the ordinary topics of conversation which one generation 
of boys inherits from another, these had a variety of entirely 
new ones. Uncle Benny had allowed them to buy sundry 
things which few of their schoolmates had been able to 
obtain. Each one had a first-rate pocket-knife, containing 
several blades. Then they had beautiful modern skates, 
and a fine gun which was owned in common, with shot- 
pouch, powder-horn, and game-bag. They also had a va- 
riety of books, most of them full of handsome pictures ; and 
then Uncle Benny had induced each of his three pupils to 
subscribe to an agricultural paper. 

All these matters, except the gun, they frequently took 
with them to school, where, during the recess for dinner, 
they felt proud to exhibit them to their wondering school- 



220 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

fellows, many of whom envied them the possession of so 
many nice things. They also had long stories to tell about 
their pigs, their pigeons, their corn, how many dollars Un- 
cle Benny had saved up for them, what they intended doing 
with the money, and what a great profit they were going 
to have from their blackberries. When setting forth these 
things to their schoolmates, as they stood round the stove 
at dinner-time, especially when telling how much money 
they had saved, they were often interrupted with the re- 
mark, " I wish I lived with Uncle Benny," or " I wish we 
had Uncle Benny on our farm." These new ingredients 
toward boyish happiness made that the pleasantest winter 
they had ever known. 

But their new materials for happiness did not cause them 
to be less attentive to their studies. Though they now 
and then shot rabbits in the woods, or hawks in the open 
fields, or spent a half-day in skating on the creek, or catch- 
ing fish b}^ stunning them with a smart blow upon the 
clear ice above them, they still kept up with their classes. 
In the long winter evenings Uncle Benny went over with 
them the lessons of the day, ascertaining how they pro- 
gressed, whether they understood what they were learning, 
ana explaining to them the difficult points. 

This outside instruction from the old man was a wonder- 
ful help, and gave them confidence for their next day's 
appearance in school. Spangler's daughters shared in the 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 221 

advantages of these evening lectures, while even their father 
would occasionally put in a word of inquiry touching some 
uncertain point. This mode of spending their evenings 
was a great change from what it had been before Uncle 
Benny took up his residence on the farm. Then it was 
all dulness and dozing, — now, it was all life and improve- 
ment. 

Among the articles which Uncle Benny had permitted 
the boys to purchase was a set of chessmen. He taught 
them the game ; and they, in turn, taught the girls. So 
fond did they all become of chess, that the board was in 
very general demand. To relieve this, he made a fox-and- 
goose board, and added checkers. When the lessons had 
all been rehearsed, and the difficult points cleared up, then 
the whole family devoted themselves to reading or to amuse- 
ments. An abundance of nuts had been gathered by the 
boys for winter use ; and these, with cider, sometimes ter- 
ribly hard, were regularly served up. Reading aloud was 
frequent, both boys and girls being encouraged to improve 
themselves by practice. Then the long winter evenings 
were never considered dull. 

Uncle Benny had insensibly remodelled the mental hab- 
its of the entire family. The girls had procured photo- 
graphs of themselves, of their parents, and even of Uncle 
Benny. They had purchased some books, and obtained 
others from the Trenton library. The boys, too, had been 



222 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

allowed to have their pictures taken. All these innocent 
gratifications came from the trifling fund which their in- 
dustry on the pigs and blackberries had produced. But, 
cheap and unpretending though they were, yet they made 
home bright and cheerful. It was one of Uncle Benny's 
ways of making farm life and farm labor attractive. 

A distinguished American writer says : " The training 
and improvement of the physical, intellectual, social, and 
moral powers and sentiments of the youth of our coun- 
try require something more than the school-house, acade- 
my, college, and university. The young mind should re- 
ceive judicious training in the field, in the garden, in 
the barn, in the workshop, in the parlor, in the kitchen, — 
in a word, around the hearthstone at home. Whatever in- 
tellectual attainments your son may have acquired, he is 
unfit to go forth into society, if he has not had thrown 
around him the genial and purifying influences of parents, 
sisters, brothers, and the inan-savijig influence of the fam- 
ily government. The nation must look for virtue, wisdom, 
and strength to the education that controls and shapes 
the home policy of the family circle. There can be no love 
of country where there is no love of home. Patriotism, 
true and genuine, the only kind worthy of the name, derives 
its mighty strength from fountains that gush out around 
the hearthstone ; and those who forget to cherish the house- 
hold interests will soon learn to look with indifference upon 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 223 

the interests of their common country. We must cultivate 
the roots, — not the tops. We must make the family gov- 
ernment, the school, the farm, the church, the shop, the 
agricultural fairs, the laboratories of our future greatness. 
We must educate our sons to be farmers, artisans, archi- 
tects, engineers, geologists, botanists, chemists, — in a word, 
practical men. Their eyes must be turned from Washing- 
ton to their States, counties, townships, districts, homes." 

But though the winter was passing with them more 
pleasantly than ever before, yet it was with renewed satis- 
faction that the boys beheld the first indications of returning 
spring. Their pigeons had prospered, their corn crop held 
out famously, their stock of pigs had been augmented by 
a new litter of ten, and all had been kept so watchfully 
that they came through the cold weather in the best pos- 
sible condition. The boys were thus in high spirits over 
what the future was to bring forth ; their rainbow of hope 
being gorgeous in its tints, and stretching from horizon to 
horizon. 

Their claim to the two-acre cornfield being undisputed, 
Uncle Benny had it ploughed up very early in March, as the 
frost had long since disappeared. Luckily enough for the 
old man's projects, Spangler was accustomed to keep on the 
farm so many more horses than he needed, that the former 
could generally have the use of a team whenever his little 
jobs required the running of a plough. He first ran it along 



224 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

the corn rows, and loosened the roots ; whereupon all hands 
turned in and gathered them into a cart, and then threw 
them into a pile in a by-place. They were afterwards com- 
posted with sods, by which the decaying process was started, 
under the operation of which a single year would crumble the 
whole mass into a heap of good manure, to which marl was 
afterwards added. 

These unsightly corn roots being out of the way, Tony 
King was able to do the subsequent ploughing very hand- 
somely. Starting with a perfectly straight furrow, he turned 
over the succeeding ones with beautiful regularity. As most 
of this section of New Jersey possesses a fine loamy soil, 
without rocks or stones, a smart and careful boy of his age 
can do as much work as a man. The field was then har- 
rowed ready for the coming crop. 

" What 's to go in now. Uncle Benny .? " inquired Spangler. 
" Cabbages, I suppose ? *' 

" Not exactly," replied the old man. " I can't afford to 
raise cabbages. A bushel of them is worth only half a dollar, 
sometimes not even that ; but a bushel of strawberries, even 
at wholesale, will be worth six dollars, — twelve times as 
much. We go in for what will pay best." 

" But we never raised strawberries here," rejoined Span- 
gler. 

" So much the worse for you. It is high time for some of 
us to begin," replied the old man. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 225 

So Uncle Benny had determined to plant strawberries and 
raspberries, an acre of each. Money enough had been saved 
to buy the plants ; so they were purchased, and the ground 
planted. For the strawberries deep furrows were opened, 
five feet apart, which the boys filled from the great pile of 
manure they had saved, the value of which they were now 
able to understand. On this they scattered great quantities 
of the Rawbone Superphosphate before mentioned, until the 
surface looked as if there had been a young snow-storm. 
Then the manure was covered over by turning a furrow from 
each side ; after which the original furrow was re-opened. 
This repeated working completely mixed up the manure and 
the Rawbone with the soil. The boys thought it more labor 
than was necessary, and Spangler thought Uncle Benny would 
never be done getting ready. But he warned them all, that 
the first condition for success in fruit-growing must be the 
proper preparation of the ground, and plenty of manure well 
mixed through the soil. 

The plants were then set out by the boys, about twenty 
inches apart in the rows. Uncle Benny directing. He was 
too old and rheumatic to do this work himself, but he did the 
looking on very faithfully until the job had been completed. 
Afterwards, he had a single grain of the best sugar corn 
planted between every two strawberry hills, as is the univer- 
sal custom in this part of New Jersey when a strawberry 
field is first set out. When the ground has been properly 
15 



226 FARMING FOR BOYS 

enriched, it is considered a good practice, as the shade crc 
ated by the growing corn is useful in protecting the young 
plants from the hot sun in a dry season, while the corn Cfop 
will enable the owner to realize a good sum of money at the 
same time that his strawberries are being established. A 
crop of sugar corn, thus managed, will more than pay the 
expense of getting the strawberries under way. Tnis sugar 
corn produces a very short stalk, which is cut off and taken 
away about the time the runners begin to put out, then leav- 
ing the strawberries in full possession of the ground. 

The other acre was treated exactly in the same way for 
raspberries, except that the rows were made six feet apart, 
and the roots set four feet asunder in the rows. The tops 
were also cut off to within six inches of the ground. Then 
sugar corn was planted all through the rows, the same as 
among the strawberries. This arrangement would secure, 
the very first season, a cash crop from the whole field, at the 
same time that the ground was being stocked with plants 
that would pay a much better profit the next season. 

As may be supposed, the cost of plants for these two acres 
made quite a hole in the money saved from the pigs and 
blackberries. But the boys did not regret this. Their rea- 
sonable wants had all been gratified, and under Uncle Ben- 
ny's exhortations they had lost most of their first itching for 
immediately spending their money. They had already begun 
to understand a little of the importance of saving. Besidec, 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 22/ 

when talking over ;his matter among themselves, Uncle 
Benny was particular to explain to them that this expendi- 
ture for plants, and for the indispensable Rawbone, must not 
be regarded as an expense, but only as an investment, — that 
is, something laid out this year to be returned with a great 
increase in a future one. He showed them that, if they had 
put out a hundred dollars at interest, they would receive 
only seven dollars increase at the year's end ; but that 
if they invested it in plants and manure, as they had now 
done, they would be pretty certain to get the whole amount 
back in little more than the same period, and still have their 
plants, as well as the increase, and that this return would 
no doubt be realized every year thereafter. 
Spangler heard this lecture, and observed, — 
" Then you think the more money a man spends for ma- 
nure, the better it is for him ? Why, if I were to manure my 
farm as you do these two acres, the sheriff would sell me 
out." 

" No, Mr. Spangler, he will be more likely to sell you out 
if you do not," replied Uncle Benny. " You will never get 
your farm out of debt until you make and buy a great deal 
more than you do. You are now trying the very worst 
experiment a farmer can, that is, trying to see how little 
manure you can get along with. If you would sell half your 
farm, and invest the money in enriching the other half, you 
would be much more likely to get along." 



228 FARMING FOR BOYS^ 

But Spangler was not to be moved in his old-time opinions 
by any exhortations of this kind. It was a greater satisfaction 
to him to think that he was the owner of a hundred acres of 
poor land, than to be cut down to only fifty, even if the profit 
were really more. 

As this business of berry culture was a new one on the Span- 
gler farm, and would require the frequent use of hoes, Uncle 
Benny was thoughtful enough to provide an assortment of 
new ones of the best quality, with nice, light handles, such as 
a young boy could labor with and not be tired out under 
their mere weight. They were fully equal to those Mr. Allen 
had provided for his boys. He also furnished each with a 
short, flat file, having a smooth handle and a broad end, which 
could be safely carried in the pocket, so that there never 
need be a dull hoe in the field. 

When the strawberries and raspberries had recovered 
from the shock of being transplanted, and were growing 
finely, the weeds, as if determined not to be outdone, began 
to do their share of growing also. But the light, keen hoes 
which the boys flourished about among them made quick 
and thorough work whenever they poked up their unwel- 
come heads. The strawberries blossomed finely. Uncle 
Benny wanted all the bloom clipped off, as he said the 
plants, not having yet acquired new roots, would have too 
much to do to recover themselves and bear a crop of fruit 
also. But Mrs. Spangler and the girls pleaded so strongly 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 22g 

with him to let the blossoms remain, so that they could 
have a little fruit that summer, that he gave way and let 
them alone. But he was satisfied it would be much better 
for the plants to be prevented from bearing the first season. 
As it turned out, there was only a moderate yield of fruit, 
but yet quite enough to gratify the wishes of the girls. 
The truth was, that the old man relished his share of the 
supply about as much as any of the family. 



230 FARMING FOR BOYS. 



CHAPTER XV. 

The old Field again. — Poverty a good Thing. — Gathering ti:b 
Crop. — A great Profit. — Stopping the Croakers. — The Secret 
OF Success. 

\ X 7HILE these events were transpiring on the two acres, 
^ ^ a very different state of things was exhibited on 
the blackberry field. The plough and cultivator had been 
several times run over the ground between the rows, mak- 
ing everything clean and mellow, all which had been done 
by the boys ; and now the rows were covered with an as- 
tonishing profusion of blossoms. From the long branches, 
which had been shortened in the fall, a multitude of shoots 
had grown out, and were now white with bloom. It was 
a really magnificent display, such as the "old field" in its 
former days had never presented. One side of it came up 
to the road fence, so that every one who passed by could 
look down the rows, and have a full view of how nicely 
the ground was kept, and of the great promise it gave of 
a bountiful crop. 

Until this season the " old field " had been an eyesore 
to the neighborhood, giving token of the most slovenly kind 
of farming. But now it was directly the reverse. Still, 
of those who saw and admired the change, almost every 
one had a few words of joking for Uncle Benny and the 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 2$ I 

boys when they saw them cultivating or hoeing in it. The 
only neighbors who encouraged them to persevere were Mr. 
Allen and his sons. But such is generally the reward of 
agricultural effort in any direction different from the old 
routine. There are plenty to laugh at the pioneer, and 
few to encourage him. 

One day when the party came up to the fence, at the 
end of a row they had just been cleaning, they were accosted 
in a very coarse way by a neighbor who was known to be 
the laziest and worst-mannered fellow in the township. He 
had mounted the top rail, and there sat until they came 
up to him. 

"Well, blackberry farmers!" said he, "you begin poor, 
you '11 keep poor, and you '11 die poor ! " 

" You 're a fool ! " replied Tony King, with an energy 
that showed how strongly he resented the rude speech of 
the loafer. 

"Hush, Tony!" interrupted Uncle Benny; "let him have 
his own idle way, and let us pursue ours. We shall see 
which of us will first go to the poor-house. Come, boys ! " 

Then starting on another row, they left the rude fellow 
to his own thoughts. After getting away down the row, 
clear out of sight and hearing, Uncle Benny halted the 
boys from their work, and drew a small book from his pock- 
et. He had been all the time thinking of the sneer which 
the loafer had made at the boys being poor, as if poverty 



232 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

were the worst thing in the world that could happen to 
them ; and he was desirous of correcting any wrong im- 
pression that even this worthless fellow might have made 
upon their minds. 

" Now, boys," he said, as each leaned upon his hoe, " this 
fellow you left on the fence seems to think the worst lot 
for a boy is to be born poor." 

" Well, it 's pretty bad," replied Tony King. 

"But it is not so," rejoined the old man. "Let me read 
you what is said by a man who knows probably as much 
as all of us together. His name is Titcomb, and he has 
written a great many lively and sensible books. Now lis- 
ten," and he read as follows: — 

" If there is anything in the world that a young man should be 
more thankful for than another, it is the poverty which necessitates 
his starting in life under very great disadvantages. Poverty is one 
of the best tests of human quality in existence. A triumph over it 
is like graduating with honor from West Point. It demonstrates 
stuff and stamina. It is a certificate of worthy labor creditably per- 
formed. A young man who cannot stand the test is not worth any- 
thing. He can never rise above a drudge or a pauper. A young 
man who cannot feel his will harden as the yoke of poverty presses 
upon him, and his pluck rise with every difficulty poverty throws in 
his way, may as well retire into some corner and hide himself Pov- 
erty saves a thousand times more than it ruins ; for it only ruins 
those who are not particularly worth saving, while it saves multitudes 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 233 

of those whom wealth would have ruined. If any young man whf 
reads this is so unfortunate as to be rich, I give him my pity. ] 
pity you, my rich young friend, because you are in danger. You 
lack one stimulus to effort and excellence which your poor com 
panion possesses. You will be very apt, if you have a soft spot in 
your head, to think yourself above him ; and that sort of thing makes 
you mean, and injures you. With full pockets and full stomach, and 
fine linen and broadcloth on your back, your heart and soul pletho- 
ric, in tlie race of life you will find yourself surpassed by all the 
poor boys around you before you know it. 

" No, my boy, if you are poor, thank God, and take courage ; for 
he intends to give you a chance to make something of yourself. 
If you had plenty of money, ten chances to one it would spoil you 
for all useful purposes. Do you lack education ? Have you been 
cut short in your text-book ? Remember that education, like some 
other things, does not consist in the multitude of things a man pos- 
sesses. 

"What can you do? That is the question that settles the busi- 
ness for you. Do you know your business ? Do you know men. 
and how to deal with them ? Has your mind, by any means what- 
soever, received that discipline which gives to its action power and 
facility ? If so. then you are more of a man and a thousand times 
better educated than the fellow who graduates from college with his 
brains full of stuff that he cannot apply to the practical business of 
life, — stuff, the acquisition of which has been in no sense a discipli- 
nary process as far as he is concerned." 

" Well," observed Tony, when the reading was over, " that 



234 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

does me good. I think I feel better for it," and, in fact, there 
was a general expression in favor of Mr. Titcomb's views, 
which was continued at intervals during the remainder of that 
day's work. On the whole. Uncle Benny thought the rude 
taunt of the loafer had proved rather an advantage than oth- 
erwise. 

But every seed-time has its harvest So this care on the 
blackberries was now about to be rewarded. In July the ber- 
ries had turned black, and were beginning to ripen. Uncle 
Benny had carefully watched the gradual swelling of the fruit 
as it approached its full size, anxious to know whether the cul- 
tivated berry would be any larger and better than the wild 
one. In these examinations he called in the critical eyes of 
the boys to know if they could discover any improvement 
over old times. The unanimous conclusion was that there 
could be no mistake about the matter, and that the berries 
were certainly larger and better. 

Then as to the different manures they had applied. The 
two rows dressed with marl were excellent, as marl is well 
known throughout New Jersey as a valuable fertilizer, though 
not so quickly showing its effects as some other manures. 
Those dressed from the pig-pen were much better, while the 
two which had received a mixed dressing of manure and 
Baugh's Rawbone far exceeded all the others. The berries 
were fuller in size, and Uncle Benny thought they ripened 
a day or two in advance. These different manures having 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 235 

been applied in the fall, the winter and spring rains had car- 
ried their fertilizing juices down to the roots, thus producing 
an immediate result. 

A great many small boxes were procured, each holding a 
quart, and these were placed in chests or crates which con- 
tained some thirty of them. In this condition the fruit was to 
be sent to market. 

It was really a fine sight to behold this blackberry field 
when it was fully ripe for the pickers. Both boys and girls 
turned in with hearty good-will at picking ; and to these were 
added a dozen other children about the same age, some even 
quitting school to secure the high wages that a smart picker 
can always earn upon a good crop. The price for picking 
being two cents a quart, it was an easy thing for the smart 
hands to earn from a dollar to a dollar and a half per day. 
Such pay, in all the berry neighborhoods, is a most important 
help to multitudes of poor families. During the fruit season 
the younger members quit all other employments and turn 
out as pickers, so that there is never any scarcity of help. In 
fact, Uncle Benny was astonished at the number that applied 
for employment. They seemed to spring out of the ground, 
and he was obliged to turn many away. 

The old man acted as boss, or foreman ; that is, he gave out 
the empty boxes to the pickers, who filled and returned them 
to him at his head-quarters under the shade of a tree. Here 
he examined the contents, to see that no green fruit had been 



236 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

gathered, and that each box was full, whereupon he gave the 
picker a ticket for every box ; and these tickets being handed 
in to him when the day's work was done, each picker's account 
was quickly calculated. They all received their money, and 
went home rejoicing. 

The boxes, when found to be all right, were placed in the 
chests, and, the lid being secured, they were ready for market. 
Having previously agreed with a fruit-dealer in Trenton to 
receive and sell his crop, nothing more was necessary than to 
drive a few miles, and the chests were in the hands of the 
agent. This gentleman charged a commission for the trouble 
of selling, and returned the net proceeds once a week. 

Though only the common wild blackberry, yet, being put 
up in clean boxes, they brought a better price than such as 
came to market in dirty old tin pans and wooden buckets. 
Probably one lot tasted as good as the other ; but the supe- 
rior style in which Uncle Benny presented his to purchasers 
made them sell quickly, as well as bring more than enough 
advance in price to pay him for his extra care. It is pretty 
much the same way with all the fruit that goes to market ; 
the careful man gets paid for his care, and a profit besides. 

The crop produced nearly four hundred dollars clear of all 
expenses of picking and taking to market and selling. This 
result almost confounded Farmer Spangler, who had never 
dreamed of having such a gold mine in the " old field." He 
half regretted having given it up to its present management 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 237 

The news soon spread round the neighborhood, among those 
who had ridiculed Uncle Benny and the boys about their 
blackberry patch ; for the old man took pains to let all the 
particulars be known, and the boys boasted of it wherever 
they went. They completely turned the laugh against the 
croakers. Some of the latter became so envious of their suc- 
cess as to wish that they owned the patch, or had one like it 
on their own land. 

But though this large profit had been made, yet a consider- 
able sum had to be refunded to Uncle Benny for expenses 
incurred by him in clearing up the wilderness of bushes into 
rows, as well as in providing boxes and chests. But these 
last were only an investment, not a mere expense. They 
would all be wanted another year for the same crop, and also 
for the other berries, and if the boys ever gave up the busi- 
ness, they could sell them for probably three fourths of the 
cost. And when these drafts on the sum total of profit had 
been deducted, there was still about two hundred and fifty 
dollars left. This Uncle Benny divided into four equal sums, 
one for Spangler, and one for each of the boys. He then 
took the latter to Trenton, where there was a savings-bank, 
and deposited every one's share in his own name. The 
boys went along, that they might learn how such things 
were done, as Tony said he did n't know but they might be 
wanting to make more deposits before long. They were all 
quite set up with the idea of having money at interest. 



238 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

It was not of much consequence, in Uncle Benny's opinion, 
how small the sum was to each. What he valued most was 
the fact that he had succeeded in teaching the boys how to 
farm profitably, to save their profits, and to make a beginning 
in the science of thriving and economizing. He had allowed 
them to spend enough to gratify all their moderate wants, 
such as, when gratified, would make them entirely happy. It 
was simply the surplus that he wanted them to save, well 
knowing that, if not put beyond the reach of every-day temp- 
tation, it would soon be gone. 

Now, Spangler's girls had made quite a snug little sum at 
picking, far more than they had ever had a chance of earn- 
ing ; for the young people on that farm had very few encour- 
aging opportunities until Uncle Benny appeared among them. 
He did not undertake to interfere with the girls' money. But 
he observed that Nancy Spangler, the eldest, invested most 
of hers in dry goods of different kinds ; and that the larger 
portion of her time was occupied in making up sheets, bed- 
quilts, pillow-cases and rag-carpet, as if she soon expected to 
have use for them. He had noticed that a smart young 
farmer, who lived near by, came very frequently to see Nancy ; 
and, putting those visits and Nancy's sheets and bedquilts 
together, he let in an idea that there must be something going 
on between the young people which would some day make a 
house as desirable as anything that dry goods could be turned 
into. Hence he did not venture to financier for Nancy, lie 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 239 

thought she was doing well enough, and that her beau could 
do what financiering she needed. 

There was no denying it that Tony King was prodigiously 
set up about his share of the general profit ; and it was 
noticed that, in talking to other boys about his good luck, he 
put on some strange airs of superiority, evidently showing 
that he began to think himself a little great man among those 
who had not been so fortunate. Uncle Benny once overheard 
him at this, and soon put a stop to it. 

" I must tell you, Tony," said he, " that great men never 
swell. Mr. Titcomb says : — 

" * It is only your three-cent individuals, who are salaried at the 
rate of two hundred dollars a year, and dine on potatoes and dried 
herring, who put on airs and flashy waistcoats, swell, blow, and 
endeavor to give themselves a consequential appearance. No dis- 
criminating person need ever mistake the spurious for the genuine 
article. The difference between the two is as great as that between 
a barrel of vinegar and a bottle of the pure juice of the grape.*'* 

Then on another occasion Tony wanted Uncle Benny to 
go in and have their brier-patch made three times as large, 
and they would make three times as much money. But the 
old man said he did n't know about that ; he thought they 
had as much now, of different things, as they could well 
manage. They were only beginners, and must move ahead 
cautiously He told him that judicious improvement or 



240 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

enlargement must progress step by step, and not by great 
double leaps as he proposed. They must not undertake too 
much. If he hadn't enough to do, the best way for him to 
occupy his spare time and thought would be to build up 
more compost heaps, as having abundance of them would be 
found equivalent to having twice as much land in berries. 

" The fact is, Tony," said the old man, " you are like most 
others, — you want to undertake too much land. It has been 
long ago ascertained that one acre, under an intelligent and 
enlightened system of cultivation, will yield as much clear 
profit as five or six acres tilled in an ignorant and slovenly 
manner. Look at the farm you are living on. Why, our six 
acres of berries have paid a greater profit than any twenty of 
Mr. Spangler's. Wait until you grow stronger, that is, until 
you have acquired some capital of your own ; and by that 
time I hope you will have learned to understand these 
matters better, and when you do go ahead, to go with 
moderation." 

" Then can't we have a peach-orchard.'*" rejoined Tony. 

** Not yet," replied the old man; "you have your hands 
full now." 

" Then," added Tony with great emphasis, at the same 
time slapping his hands together, " I'll have a farm of my 
own !" 

"Ah, now you're getting on the right track," rejoined 
Uncle Benny, *' Co on as you are doing at present, and I 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 24 1 

have no doubt in good time you will have one. What is 
more, show yourself to be steady, industrious, honest, and 
obliging, and friends will spring up to give you a lift when 
you don't look for them." 

It must not be supposed that, while these interesting inci- 
dents were occurring, the plants in the two acres devoted to 
berries were standing still,' or that they had required no 
attention. On the contrary, they needed even more care 
than when the field had been planted exclusively in corn. 
Soon after the blackberries had ripened, the corn was cut and 
taken to market, where it sold for more than enough money 
to pay for the plants which had been purchased. Then in 
August the strawberries began to send out a profusion of 
runners. The Rawbone had evidently imparted an extraordi- 
nary vigor to the plants, as was shown by this ability to pro- 
duce so vast a quantity of runners. Uncle Benny employed 
the girls to clip them off with scissors as fast as they 
appeared. This job had to be done once a week, during the 
growing season ; but the old man had it done thoroughly. 
It cost a few dollars, but then it enabled the girls to earn a 
little pocket-money ; besides, the old man felt satisfied it 
would be a good investment on the small field he was over- 
seeing. 

One day when Spangler was about beginning to husk out 
his corn crop, he came up to where Uncle Benny and the 
boys were standing, with an expression of considerable 
16 



242 FARMING FOR BOYS. - 

anxiety on his countenance, and inquired of the old man 
how they expected to feed their pigs and pigeons the next 
winter. 

" Last year you had corn," said he, " but now you 've got 
nothing but berries." 

" Why," repUed the old man, " we shall feed them on 
yours. We can't afford to raise corn. It is cheaper for us to 
buy corn than to raise it. I will take my one acre of straw- 
berries, and next season will get as much money from it as 
will pay for all the corn you can raise on ten acres. You 
never yet had over thirty-five bushels to the acre, at a dol- 
lar a bushel ; but I shall have at least eighty bushels of 
strawberries, and will clear five dollars a bushel from them. 
Now, how can we afford to raise corn.? Do you think that 
yon can afford to do so, when you are within reach of a great 
city market } You see, Mr. Spangler, everybody raises corn, 
but only a few persons raise fruit." 

Spangler stood with his hands in his pockets, but said 
nothing, and Uncle Benny continued his lecture to an 
appreciative audience of four. 

" You see, Mr. Spangler, it is not the quantity of land a 
man has, but the use to which he puts it, that makes him rich 
or keeps him poor. There is your * Old Field,' which you 
put to growing briers, but which we put to growing berries, 
and you know the result. I told you it could be made to pay 
off your mortgage. If we had had an improved variety of 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 243 

blackberry, such as the Lawton, our receipts would have beeri 
three or four times as much as they were. It costs no more 
to raise the best than it does to produce the poorest. But 
we took what we could get, and what no one else would have. 
Still, this shows what may be accomplished when a man is 
determined to make the best of circumstances. It proves, 
moreover, that there is sometimes great value in things which 
careless people neglect as worthless. 

" Now," continued the old man, " if you were to sell half 
your land, pay off your debts, invest the remainder of your 
money in labor and manure, and change from all grass and 
grain to about twenty acres in fruits, you would only have 
half as much land to work over, and could save money every 
year." 

" What ! buy a thousand dollars' worth of manure .'' " 
inquired Spangler, drawing his hands from his pockets, and 
utterly amazed at the idea. " It would ruin me ! " 

"But the ruin will come if you do not," rejoined Uncle 
Benny. 



244 FARMING FOR BOYS. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Play as well as Work. — Fishing and a F.^h-Pond. — A bad Acci- 
dent. — Taming a Crow. — Don't kill the Toads. 

^ I ^HOUGH the boys worked faithfully in assisting their 
-■- father, yet they had a full share of sport and recreation 
throughout the entire year. It was very far from being all 
work and no play. They were great hands at fishing with 
pole and line, and spent many a half-day on the banks of the 
creeks and ditches in the neighborhood, catching sunfish and 
catties, with now and then a good-sized snapper. They 
knew all the deep and shaded holes along the ditches into 
which the fish delight to seek refuge from the glare of an 
August sun, and hence were able to bring home many a 
dozen at a time. Though catching the fish was fine sport, 
yet there was the unpleasant drawback of being made to 
clean them. This was a dirty job, which Mrs. Spangler and 
the girls declared they would not do for them, but, if they 
would go a-fishing, they should clean all they caught. 

Over at their neighbor Allen's, the boys on that farm had 
contrived to make a net long enough to stretch clear across 
the widest ditch. It was rare sport to go over and help the 
Allen boys to fish with this net. Sometimes, when the water 
in the creek was low, they would make long sweeps against 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 



245 



the stream, and haul up an immense number of fish. At 
other times, two or three of the party would keep the net 
extended across the creek, while others would get into the 
water a considerable distance off, and with great sticks would 




thrash the surface as they waded up toward the net, making 
all the turmoil and commotion they could. This immense 
hue and cry would frighten the fish from their hiding-places, 
and start them off on a run. As the boys approached 
nearer and nearer to the net, the water was seen to be alive 



246 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

with fish, — some leaping out to escape the net ahead and the 
boys behind, while some dashed back between the boys' legs 
and escaped, and others saved themselves by jumping clear 
over the net, now and then even touching the faces of those 
who held it. Though large numbers of fish were penned 
up in this way, yet the fishermen generally made light hauls. 
By the time they got the net up, the greater portion had 
made themselves scarce, and then the operation was to be 
repeated. Buf even if there was plenty of mud and a small 
amount offish, still there was a great deal of fun. 

They never did much at gunning, as Uncle Benny was too 
good a friend of the birds to encourage his boys at killing 
anything but hawks. On the contrary, he had induced them 
to imitate the Aliens, and to make a number of small boxes 
for the birds to build in, which he had nailed up against the 
barn and about the house. It is true, they were rather rough 
affairs to look at ; but the birds appeared to think them 
extremely convenient, for all of them had regular tenants. 
Then in the nearest trees they hung up a number of crook- 
necked squashes, with a hole in the lower end, and these 
also were all tenanted. To complete the assortment, Tony 
King one day nailed up a deplorably old straw hat against the 
side of the barn, and in a very short time a pair of wrens 
were found in possession. It was a much more homely thing 
to look at than either boxes or squashes ; but is seems the 
birds cared nothing for looks, but a good deal for comfort 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 247 

It was cool and airy in hot weather, and hence was in con- 
stant demand. 

Among other amusements, in the way of keeping pets, 
the boys estabUshed a Httle fish-pond by scooping out a 
wide surface of low ground through which there was a 
lively brook, and by raising a dam at the lower end. This 
made the water some two feet deep. They had seen in one 
of the shop windows, at Trenton, a glass globe containing 
gold-hsh, and were so struck with the beauty of the sight, 
that they resolved to have gold-fish of their own, and there- 
fore went to work and prepared the pond. On going to buy 
the fish, they found the price was three dollars a pair. But, 
high as it was, they made the purchase, and placed them in 
the pond. 

It was astonishing to see how rapidly they multiplied ; 
for in a large warm-water pond like this they breed much 
faster than in cold, deep water. The boys noticed that 
their gold-fish changed color three times, — the young ones 
being black, then gradually turning to a crimson gold color, 
then becoming white or pearl-color, and, lastly, becoming 
white all over. Some, however, did not change at all, but 
retained their original black. They proved themselves to be 
extremely hardy, living and multiplying whether the water 
became very warm in summer, or whether frozen over in 
winter. In process of time the pond fairly swarmed with 
them, until the boys enlarged its dimensions by scooping it 



248 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

out to twice the original size. They frequently amused 
themselves with feeding them, until the fish became perfectly 
tame. Bill Spangler, who seemed to be more fond of pets 
than the others, taught them to rise to the surface of the 
water by drumming on a piece of board. On such occasions 
their great broad sides, on a bright summer day, could be 
seen glistening in the sun all over the pond. They took 
food readily as it was thrown to them, such as crumbs of 
bread or crackers, dough, worms, or grasshoppers. 

Their pond of gold-fish became so great a curiosity that 
the neighbors came from far and near to see it, though it 
never was a source of much profit. Uncle Benny considered 
it a recreation as well as a study, and about the cheapest 
amusement that could have been devised. It cost only a 
little labor to establish it, and was a permanent object of 
interest. 

But their amusements were not always exempt from 
accidents. One day when the boys were waiting near the 
barn for the first music of the dinner-horn, Bill Spangler 
thought he would amuse himself a few minutes, by way of 
filling up time, with currying up the pigs. Taking up his 
long stick with the old curry-comb on one end of it, he 
reached over the side of the pen to begin operations. But 
he had scarcely begun to scratch among his pets, when his 
eye lighted on a strange animal squatting down in a corner 
of the pen. Bill had never before seen such a creature, and 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 249 

did not know what it was. He thought it a beautiful little 
thing, — about a foot long, of dark color, with whitish stripes 
running down its back, a bushy tail, and short legs. Bill 
gazed and wondered, and stopped currying the pigs. It 
presently occurred to him that he would stir up the strange 
animal with his curry-comb, to learn a little more about what 
it was. So, reaching over to where it lay, he began poking 
at it quite vigorously. 

The beautiful little stranger was very far from relishing 
this unceremonious kind of treatment, and, making a sudden 
jump round, presented his tail to Bill instead of his head. 
This so amused Bill that he poked a little harder, expecting 
another equally funny movement. But, in place of anything 
to laugh at, the animal suddenly discharged at Bill a stream 
of something worse than any brimstone he had ever smelt. 
It seemed to have taken direct aim at his face. The poor 
boy was half stifled. He thought, at the moment, that at 
some time or other he had encountered all kinds of loud 
smells, but was now satisfied that this was the loudest and 
most terrible of all. Everything around him seemed to turn 
blue, — his eyes were half blinded, and he began to feel like 
vomiting. What became of the animal he neither knew nor 
cared, having worse things to think of. In his terrible dis- 
tress he set off for the house. The horn had blown for 
dinner, but Bill had not heard it ; and, as to appetite, it 
had vanished. 



250 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

He entered the door with his hands over his face, sobbing 
and crying, and found the family at dinner. Instantly every 
one dropped his knife, and began snuffing. Then a sudden 
puff of wind came in at the door, and the whole dinner-party 
started up as if they also had had brimstone put under 
their noses, at the same time uttering all sorts of cries. 
The girls ran out of doors with their aprons over their faces, 
and Mrs. Spangler screamed out, — 

" Where have you been ? What 's the matter with you ? " 

" O, I don't know," replied Bill, crying louder than before. 

" Get out of the house ! " exclaimed his mother. " What 
on earth ails you } " 

" Not much, I guess," replied the father, quietly. " Fight- 
ing with something, I reckon." 

"Yes," added Uncle Benny, "fighting a skunk!" and the 
old man, in spite of the smothering atmosphere that now 
filled all that part of the house, sat down, and laughed so 
heartily as to rouse the anger of Mrs. Spangler even to tell^ 
ing him he had better clear out also. 

The fact was, every one was glad to get out into the open 
air without waiting to be told. It was also too true that Bill 
had been amusing himself with that most dangerous rural 
plaything, a skunk, and had suffered the terrible baptism 
which invariably follows the indulgence of such a recreation. 
Severe as it is, it somehow never fails to draw forth the 
ridicule of all witnesses, while it but rarely excites the sym- 
pathy of any. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 25 I 

But an onslaught of this kind is experienced by many 
country boys at some period of their hves. Tliose who cour- 
ageously creep under barns in search of eggs are often driven 
out upon the double quick, feet foremost, by attacks of this 
kind, getting so much more than they bargained for as never 
to have pluck enough to risk a second skirmish with such an 
enemy. Then at night, when walking along a narrow path, 
or in the open yard around the house, the unseen enemy lies 
in wait, and instead of getting out of the way, as a civilly dis- 
posed skunk should, he spitefully bespatters the wayfarer with 
a sort of voluntary malignancy, and then takes to his heels, — 
an example which his mortified victim is certain to imitate. 

Uncle Benny, undismayed in the midst of the general 
family stampede, made out to rally the two boys to poor 
Bill's rescue. They made him strip off his clothes and 
squat down under the pump, where they gave him a copious 
shower-bath. Then, getting him into a tub of water, he 
underwent a thorough scrubbing with soap, especially his 
hair, which seemed to have received a large portion of the 
disagreeable shock. These ablutions did some good, of 
course, in the way of purification ; but they were far from 
fully repairing damages. As to his clothes, his father said the 
only thing to be done with them was to bury them in the 
ground for at least two weeks, and this he did. He professed 
to know all about skunks, and so the clothes went two feet 
under ground. 



252 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

Not one of the family could eat a mouthful during the 
remainder of that day, as there was a general complaint of 
being sick at the stomach. Even in their sleep that night 
several of them dreamed of smelling brimstone. Some 
neighbors who dropped in a few days afterwards wondered 
whether the family had n't been dining on the worst kind 
of sour-crout. As to poor Bill, every one gave him a wide 
berth for weeks, and many were the jokes at his expense. 
He kept exceedingly shy of the pigpen, as it was now dan- 
gerous ground, and called up the most unpleasant memo- 
ries. 

"I'll kill him the next time!" exclaimed Bill a day or 
two after his shower-bath under the pump. 

"Ah," replied Uncle Benny, "nobody seems to have a good 
word for the skunk. Every man's hand is against him, just 
as it is against the snakes, and now he has grown to be a 
scarce article all over the country. It is true that none of 
us want so dangerous a playfellow, but, then, even the skunk 
was not created in vain. He has a mission in this world, 
like ourselves. He is one of the many friends the farmer 
has without knowing it. He devours beetles, crickets, grass- 
hoppers, mice, and other vermin. I know that he occa- 
sionally snaps up a chicken, but very rarely. Let him alone, 
and he will keep the garden tolerably clear of destructive 
insects, and charge you nothing for it. If you do not trouble 
him, he will seldom trouble you." 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 2$^ 

•'I don't think so, Uncle Benny," replied Bill, drawing a 
long breath. 

"Well," added the old man, ''when next you meet one, 
don't offer to shake hands with him, and you will be safe." 

But this little accident taught Bill Spangler caution ; and 
ever afterwards, when going about the premises, he could 
not help keeping a sharp lookout for essence-pedlers in the 
shape of suspicious animals with pretty white stripes down 
the back. 

Besides the gold-fish there was another curious pet upon 
the farm. This was a young crow, which one day fell near 
the kitchen door, having its wing wounded by a shot. The 
general spite against the crow would have led most young 
persons to kill it on the spot ; but in this case the girls 
took charge of it, and coddled it up with extreme care 
until the wing had healed, by which time it had become 
almost as tame as the cat, and showed no disposition to fly 
away. It was a queer sight to observe the crow stalking 
about the yard among the chickens and pigeons, claiming 
his share of the good things going round. The pigeons 
were prodigiously afraid of him, and generally kept at a 
respectful distance. But though the chickens did not 
seem to fear him, yet they evidently considered him an 
intruder, and picked off a feather or two whenever he came 
within striking distance. 

If no great ornament to the premises, yet he proved really 



254 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

useful. He would stalk into the garden, with daily regu- 
larity, and took upon himself the whole business of exter- 
minating the squash-bugs, beetles, grubs, and other destruc- 
tive insects, until all had disappeared. The family never 
raised such abundant crops of cucumbers and melons as 
they did while the crow thus stood sentinel over the garden. 
To the small birds about the premises he was a regular 
scarecrow ; all except the kingbird being very much afraid 
of him, though he never condescended to attack them. But 
the kingbird seemed to have an unconquerable spite against 
him, and would often pounce down upon his back, attack- 
ing him so vigorously as to compel him to fly off and hide 
under a currant-bush in the garden, or in the tall grass 
around the fish-pond. With both boys and girls he was 
wonderfully intimate. In warm weather he generally roosted 
under the wood-shed, and in winter the girls brought him 
into the kitchen, where he had a regular roost in the chimney 
corner ; and he would walk up and mount upon it with a 
quiet gravity that every one was amused at witnessing. 
The two house-cats invariably got up and moved off to 
another corner, whenever they saw the crow marching up 
to his roost. But such is the character of our common crow. 
He is naturally a most intelligent bird, and, when kindly 
treated, can be domesticated without any difficulty. 

This taming of the wounded crow was one of Uncle 
Benny's devices for cultivating the affections, and teaching 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 255 

the boys a habit of kindness towards inferior creatures. 
He was always on the lookout for opportunities for impress- 
ing upon them the duty of forbearance from cruelty or vio- 
lence to such. He one day caught Tony throwing stones at 
a couple of toads in the garden, and forthwith ordered him to 
stop. But Tony replied that they were of no use, and ought 
to be killed, — he didn't like them. The old man, sitting 
down on the frame of a hotbed that was close at hand, and 
telling Tony to take a seat beside him, drew a paper from his 
pocket, and read to him the following brief lecture, though he 
did not know the author's name: — 

" It is idle to talk about useless animals. All are useful, and 
many that we despise are necessary to man. Even the common 
house-flies should be ranked among the best friends of man. All 
dead and decaying matter, which is most abundant in the hottest 
weather, is detrimental to human health and life. Swarms of flies 
rapidly convert this matter into living, healthy substance, and thus 
purify the atmosphere, and make our dwellings habitable. These 
ever-busy workers are actually essential, particularly in the dirtiest 
portions of cities. They destroy immense quantities of pestilence- 
breeding impurities. Their busy motions pertain to life. With 
death come foul odors, which flies consume and convert to life and 
motion. They are the real sanitary inspectors of our dwellings, 
and abaters of nuisance. They are under-estimated, and so are all 
reptiles. The despised toad is one of our most useful domestic 
animals, — one of the farmer's and gardener's best friends. We 



256 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

should all learn lessons of useful instruction of the toad, and teach 
our children and servants never to injure them. They delight in 
well-cultivated grounds, and live long in the same locality, occupy- 
ing the same nests for many years. Their natural food is bugs and 
flies which are injurious to the garden. They catch their prey with 
wonderful facility, by the power they have of shooting out their 
tongues to the length of six or eight inches, striking with lightning 
quickness whatever comes within the focus of their two prominent 
eyes. If one eye is destroyed, they lose the power of striking their 
prey. The tongue is covered with a glutinous substance, which 
holds every insect it strikes. Night is the toad's time to work. 
We have accounts of monster toads in Surinam, with mouths like 
a hog. 

"All toads and frogs are insect-eaters, and the numbers they 
destroy can hardly be over-estimated. They seem to have been 
predestined for the great work of destroying bugs and insects 
generally ; and as the natural habitat of toads is with man in his 
cultivated grounds, they are there his most useful coworkers. If 
not already in the garden, man should collect and carry them 
there. A few toads in a vine-patch soon rid it of its worst 
enemies, the bugs. The young of frogs, while in the tadpole age, 
breathe by gills, under water. After they lose their tails, and 
become perfect frogs, they are air-breathing animals, and not 
amphibious. If they dive, it is only suspended inspiration. They 
must come to the surface to breathe. In spite of all that Shake- 
speare has said to sustain the prejudice against toads, they are 
not poisonous, nor hateful. Our antipathy all comes from faulty 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 257 

education. We should teach our children not to hate, but to 
protect toads. We should also try to overcome the prejudice 
against eating frogs. They should be the cheap and plenty food of 
the poor, instead of, as now, the choice dainties of the rich. They 
might as well be grown for food as chickens. Frogs would only 
need a fit place to live in. They would need no food nor care. If 
the idea of cultivating frogs is thought absurd, it is not more so 
than the idea of sending ice to the tropics was thought to be a few 
years ago. It was made to pay ; and a frog-pond as well as the ice- 
pond may, and frogs should be an article of food in every market." 

Then, turning over to another page, he read the follow- 
ing:— 

" Our ugly friend, the toad, affects gardens as much as the lord of 
creation. You will find him in a hole in the wall, in the strawberry 
patch, under the squash-vines, or among the cucumbers. He is 
not handsome, but serene and dignified as a judge. He executes 
judgment upon all bugs, worms, snails, and pests of the garden in 
the most summary way. See what a capacious maw he has, 
occupying the whole space from his forelegs to his haunches. He 
is the very incarnation of stomach, and his gastronomic feats would 
do credit to an alderman. He tucks away bugs and all kindred 
flesh as an epicure would turtle and pudding. He is never full. 
That maw stretches like caoutchouc, and he is nearer to having an 
endless gullet than any other reptile. He is altogether too useful to 
be without enemies. All the serpent tribe hate him, and devour 
him when they can. Even man slanders him. He misses a few 
'7 



2!;8 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 



Strawberries from his patch, and lays it to the toad, who stands like 
a sentinel guarding his treasures. It was the snail who did the 
mischief before the toad took up his station ; fortunately, he is now 
where he will spoil no more ruddy fruit. Or it was the robin who 




slyly snapped up the berries, and flew off into the neighboring tree, 
leaving the poor toad to bear his sins. But you see by the look of 
his honest face that he is guiltless. Those lustrous eyes are above 
stealing. One fat bug would give him more pleasure than all the 
fruit in your garden. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 259 

" Cultivate the friendship of toads, for they take the insects that 
the birds are apt to overlook. They inspect the ground closely, 
peer under the leaves of strawberries, under the growing vines, and 
nab every creeping thing in sight. They are as easily domesticated 
as birds, never sing when you do not want them to, are quiet and 
unobtrusive, and, if not worth five hundred dollars apiece, are still 
profitable pets and fellow-helpers. Birch the boy that teases 
toads." 



260 FARMING FOR BOYS. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

All Weather good. — A Disappointment. — Making Money. — Cmf 
AND Country Life. — Wealth and its Uses. — Contrast BET^VEEN 
OLD Times and the Present. 

" \ T /"HAT a miserable spring we have, miserably rainy," 
' ^ said Joe Spangler one day in the succeeding April, 
when Uncle Benny and the boys were walking over their 
strawberry field, looking at the beautiful white blossoms that 
were unfolding on every side. " I wish we could have some 
good weather." 

"Ah," replied the old man, "all weather is good, though 
we may not be able to see it at the time"; and, unfolding a 
paper which he carried in his hand, he read the following 
extract from a speech of Mr. Everett to an English audience, 
many of whom had previously expressed to him their regret 
at having so wet a day for their meeting : — 

*' It is a good day, notwithstanding the rain. The weather is 
good ; all weather is good ; sunshine is good ; rain is good. Not 
good weather, sir ? Ask the farmer, in whose grains and roots there 
yet remains some of its moisture, to be driven out by to-morrow's 
sun. Ask the boatman, who is waiting for his raft to go over the 
rapids. Ask the dairyman and grazier if the rain, even at this 
season of the year, is not good. Ask the lover of nature if it is not 
good weather when it rains. Sir, one may see in Europe artificial 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 26l 

water-works, cascades constructed by the skill of man at enormous 
expense, — at Chatsworth, at Hesse Cassel, and the remains of 
magnificent water-works at Marly, where Louis XIV. lavished 
uncounted millions of gold, and thus, according to some writers, 
laid the foundation of those depletions of the treasury which 
brought on the French Revolution. The traveller thinks it a great 
thing to see these artificial water-works, where a little water is 
pumped up by creaking machinery or a panting steam-engine, to be 
scattered in frothy spray ; and we talk of its not being a good day 
when God's great engine is exhibited to us. His imperial water- 
works sending up the mist and vapors to the clouds, to be rained 
down again in comfort and beauty and plenty upon grateful and 
thirsty man ! Sir, as a mere gratification of the taste, I know 
nothing in nature more sublime, more beautiful, than these rains, 
descending in abundance and salubrity from the skies." 

But out came the sun at last, and more blossoms with it, 
and then a hot day, with a young thunder-gust in the after- 
noon, and a hail-storm, the night clearing up so cold that a 
white frost was visible in many places the next morning. It 
was quite an unusual thing for that portion of New Jersey. 
But farming is not all profit, and crops are subject to many 
casualties, — some from excessive moisture, some from exces- 
sive dryness, others from heat, and others from premature 
cold. The first blossoms of the strawberries, which the boys 
had been so recently admiring, were blasted by this untimely 
frost, and the expected crop diminished by at least a third. 



262 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

It would have been a sore grief to the boys, this prospect of 
a great loss. But Uncle Benny assured them the case was 
not a distressing one ; he had seen cases far worse than this. 
He explained to them that there were several distinct sets of 
blossoms, which unfolded themselves one after the other, not 
all at once. The first set of theirs had opened, while the 
second had only half exposed the white flowers. But both 
-iWere blasted. Hence, there was reasonable hope that from 
the yet undeveloped blossoms they would gather a plentiful 
crop, as none of them had been injured. Besides, he said 
there was little doubt of their getting very nearly as much 
money. The frost did not fall on their field alone ; it must 
have blasted many others ; and the diminished quantity of 
fruit would be made up by the increased price which the half 
or quarter crop would command. 

When Uncle Benny began his course of training, his idea 
was that, as the hope of reward was everywhere admitted to 
be the great sweetener of toil, so, if the boys could be put in 
the way of accumulating a little money for themselves as the 
result of their own labor, it would be a powerful stimulant to 
exertion. His experience with them proved that his idea was 
the correct one. Their anxiety was now beginning to out- 
grow even his. Their ambition was increasing, — one wanted 
twice as many blackberries, another wanted a great peach- 
orchard, and Bill Spangler insisted that he must have more 
pigs, as there were not half as many as» he could sell. He 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 263 

said there was no more need of taking Nancy's progeny to 
the fair in order to obtain customers, as they came to the 
farm for the young Chester Whites in greater numbers than 
he could supply, and if one Nancy did so well, he wanted to 
have six or seven more of the same sort. 
Some writer has observed that 

"A slight knowledge of human nature will show that, when a man 
gets on a little in the world, he is desirous of getting on a little 
farther. Such is the growth of provident habits, that it has been 
said that, if a journeyman lays by the first dollar, he is on the high 
road to fortune. It has been remarked by one who has paid great 
attention to the slate of the laboring poor, that he never knew an 
instance of a man who had saved money having afterwards to 
depend on public bounty." 

It was so with the boys. Their experience had shown 
them that farm labor and farm employments, when rightly 
directed, could be made very profitable, while they had 
already begun to save money. The getting thus far ahead 
stimulated them to get and to save more. But this stimulant, 
in Uncle Benny's opinion, was getting too strong, and he was 
constantly obliged to impose restraints on their ambitious 
projects for expansion. As to Tony King, the orphan boy, 
he had long since abandoned all idea of giving up the farm for 
a city life. Hence, he was now turning his attention to how 
and when he should have a farm of his own. Knowing 



264 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

himself to be friendless, with none to aid him, it was natural 
enough for him to be casting about for an enlargement of the 
moderate profits which two years under Uncle Benny's 
instructions had enabled him to make and save. 

Uncle Benny had been with the Spanglers some three 
years, and Tony was now a well-grown lad of nineteen. His 
manners were remarkably pleasing, his appearance was 
manly, and, wherever he happened to make acquaintances, 
he quickly became a favorite. It was ^no wonder, then, that, 
as years increased upon him, he became thoughtful of his 
future. The Spanglers had parents, and the parents had a 
farm, on which their children would always have a home. 
But it was very different with Tony King. He was to carve 
out his own fortune, and that by the labor of his hands, not 
by help of any friendly purse. His good character and 
moderate education were all the capital he possessed. But, 
if young men only knew it, such capital, carefully preserved, 
will gather round it all other desirable forms of wealth. 

An incident had occurred in the neighborhood some years 
previously, the results of which had made a strong impression 
upon Tony's thoughtful mind. He was now old enough to 
appreciate them in all their bearings. One Tracey, a 
farmer, had married a farmer's daughter, whose misfortune 
it was to dislike a rural life. She desired her husband to 
seek some other employment, anything but that of farming, 
and was ever ready to commend the superior charms of a life 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 26$ 

in the city. She held out the same idea for her daughters, 
and hoped that, when they married, it would not be to become 
farmers' wives. Her oldest, Jessie, at nineteen was the belle 
*)i the township, — the life of every picnic, the charm of 
every quilting-party, a picture of rural beauty, and perfectly 
happy in her modest home. 

Between Jessie and the son of a neighboring farmer there 
sprung up an attachment which was fast ripening into an 
engagement of marriage. They were not only well paired, 
but suitably matched. He was every way deserving of her, 
and his prospects for life were quite as promising as hers. 
But he was only a farmer, — the very occupation which 
Jessie's mother had hoped might never fall to the lot of her 
daughters. He could offer no dazzling future, no fortune, 
no display, only the reasonable promise of a genuine domestic 
happiness. The unsatisfied and exacting mother wanted more. 

Meantime the summer vacation brought into the neighbor- 
hood a spruce young shopkeeper from New York, a Mr. 
Dimity, whose business was that of measuring out lace and 
ribbons behind the counter of a Canal Street store. But 
though a perfect obscurity in the great city, he set up for a 
flourishing merchant when in the country. He talked exten- 
sively of his brilliant prospects, glibly enough to impose upon 
the weakness of Jessie's mother. His dress was elegant, his 
manners easy, and his attentions to Jessie soon became very 
decided. But, while courting the daughter, he first won the 



266 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

mother to his side. The former should have her brown-stone 
mansion in one of the avenues, her carriage, her servants, and 
then there would be operas, and theatres, and concerts. 
Life in the great city should be one round of pleasure, to 
which the dull quietness of a farmer's sitting-room would be 
mere barbarism. 

Jessie's mother was readily won over by these specious 
foreshadowings of what might never ' be realized, and then 
Jessie herself gave way. The next winter she became Mrs. 
Dimity, and took up her abode in New York. There she 
saw all the heart-scalding phases of city life. Ten years of 
ups and downs were hers. Dimity was fortunate, and then, 
in turn, unfortunate, — rich to-day, but poor to-morrow. 
The mansion in the avenue, and the carriage with it, took 
wings and flew away. If her life were gayer in the city than 
in the farm-house, it was far less happy ; and often did she 
sigh for the soft quiet of the rural home which her mother 
had urged her to abandon. Dimity died bankrupt, and his 
once blooming Jessie returned to the old parental home- 
stead, a faded and disheartened widow. 

Her history was known throughout the neighborhood, and 
was many times referred to in the hearing of Tony King as 
another illustration of the danger of leaving a happy country 
home for an unhappy one in the city. It made him thought- 
ful and wise, and served to confirm him in his new deter- 
mina^ ion of never abandoning the farm. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 267 

This conclusion of Tony was encouraged by Uncle Benny 
whenever an opportunity presented ; nor did he fail to enter 
into all his various plans for achieving his praiseworthy 
ambition of getting a httle farm for himself. Time was pass- 
ing rapidly away, and Tony was fast becoming a man. 
Their success in fruit-growing had been so decided that every 
year added to the little savings the boys had accumulated. It 
afforded convincing evidence to Tony's mind that fruit could 
be made more profitable than grain, and that a few acres, 
worked as they ought to be, would pay far better than a great 
farm only half cultivated. 

" You see," said Uncle Benny, " from what you have been 
doing, that all wealth is the result of well-directed labor, and 
that fortune is not chance work. Money is the evidence that 
somebody has been at work, — working either with his hands 
or head. All that you have in the savings-bank is the result 
of work done on these few acres of ground. It is, moreover, 
a positive assurance that, if you continue to do more work, 
you will accumulate more money. Besides, money thus 
acquired is much more likely to be kept than when made by 
fraud or speculation. That which comes easy generally 
goes easy. But after all, Tony, money is not everything 
in this world. Its possession has many times been known 
to be a great misfortune. But with good health, a virtuous 
family, moderate desires, a generous heart, and a life here 
which ever keeps in view the immortal one to come, it may 



268 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

be considered a great blessing. Without these, the rich 
man is a miserable being." 

" But what," inquired Tony, " would you consider the best 
way for a poor fellow like me to get up in the world ? " 

" Well," replied the old man, " the way to wealth is about 
as plain as the way to market, and is open to all who are 
industrious and frugal, both of time and money. It has been 
well said that time well employed is certain to bring 
money, as money well spent is certain of gaining more. 
Acquire habits of punctuality, and you establish a character 
for accuracy which will give you credit ; and credit is the 
prize which all aim at, but which too few preserve. Every- 
body respects a punctual man. He is sure to thrive, as 
punctuality implies industry and foresight. Next comes 
justice in all your dealings. 

"Now," he continued, "you have a hundred facilities for 
carrying on farming successfully of which the first settlers 
of this country had no knowledge. Look at the splendid 
implements we saw at the fair, the improved animals, the low 
prices at which they were sold, and the vast abundance of 
them all. These are so many helps to success." 

Then, unfolding a newspaper, he read the following article, 
but was ignorant of the author's name : — 

" Our New England fathers pursued farming under difficulties of 
which we have little conception. The country from which they 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 269 

emigrated was farther advanced in civilization, and better tilled than 
any then on the globe ; and this they exchanged for one entirely 
new to them, and for a soil and climate unlike those of which 
they had before some experience. Thrown into a savage wil- 
derness, their knowledge of farming on the smooth plains of the 
old country would avail them but little. Almost everything must be 
learned anew, and their knowledge of farming in America must be 
acquired by slow and painful experience. Who will wonder, then, 
that their progress was slow ? Rather let us wonder that they did 
not succumb to the difficulties and hardships. 

" The early settlers had no beasts of burden for many months 
after their arrival. And, when at length a few cows were sent over, 
being poorly fed on coarse meadow hay, many of them drooped and 
died, and others, surviving this, were killed by the wolves or the 
Indians. Besides, the difficulty and cost of importation were then 
so great as to raise their price above the means of ordinary farmers. 
In the year 1636 cows sold from twenty-five to thirty pounds ster- 
ling, $125 to $150, and oxen at forty pounds a pair. The cattle, 
too, were greatly inferior to those of the present day. The ox was 
small and ill-shaped, and the horse very unlike the noble dray- 
horses of Boston and Baltimore of the present day, and the sheep 
were inferior, both in size and form, and in the fineness of the wool. 
In 1638 there were no horses in the Plymouth colony; and his- 
tory tells us that one John Alden, the rival suitor of Miles Standish, 
carried home his bride on the back of a bull, which he had covered 
with a piece of handsome broadcloth, he leading the ungainly ani- 
mal by a rope fastened to a ring in its nose. 



270 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

" Agricultural implements could then be imported from the 
mother-country, but all persons could not afford to obtain them in 
this way. A farmer of the present day would not think the best of 
them worth much, they were so rudely made, so heavy and un- 
wieldy. Many of their tools were made from bog-ore, the only 
metal then to be had, and were very brittle and easily destroyed. 

" Twelve years after the landing at Plymouth, the farmers of the 
colony had no ploughs, and were obliged to prepare their lands for 
seed with the hoe. As late as 1637 there were only thirty-six 
ploughs in the whole of Massachusetts. For a long period after this 
the State paid a bounty to any one who should buy and keep a 
plough in repair, making it his sole business to go from farm to 
farm breaking up land. This must have been a real plough-man ! 

It was a great advantage, surely, to the first settlers, to acquire the 
use of the several new plants employed by the natives for food. 
Yet it took some time to learn how to cultivate them, and hardly 
less how to relish them. Indian corn was one of these plants ; and 
pumpkins, squashes, potatoes, and tobacco were almost equally 
strangers to them. It is said that the potato was so rare in Eng- 
land, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, as to be used only 
in the smallest quantities. It was sold at two shillings a pound 
for the Queen's table, and was used as a fruit, baked into pies, 
seasoned with spices and wine, and sometimes eaten with sugar. 

" The colonists adopted, to a great extent, the Indian mode of 
cultivating the plants above named ; and, as the times then were, it 
answered a good purpose. For example, like the natives, they 
planted their corn four feet apart ; and those living near the sea- 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 2/1 

coast, manured their plants in the hill with horse-shoe crabs ; those 
Hving on streams in the interior used fishes for the same purpose. 
They planted beans among their corn, that the former might be sup- 
ported by the latter. They hilled their corn about two feet high, 
supposing it necessary to sustain the stalks." 

" Now compare all that you can everywhere see with this 
picture of destitution and hardship. You," added the old 
man, "have no such privations to encounter. These forgot- 
ten heroes of the soil have cleared away the forests, leaving 
to us the pleasing duty of giving to it the highest cultiva- 
tion." 



272 FARMING FOR BOYS. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Changes on the Farm. — The Boys becoming Men. — Tony and his 
Prospects. — Going into the Army. — A great Discovery. — Uncle 
Benny's Triumph. — Tony King made happy. 

^ I ^HE three boys had now grown up to be young men, and 
-*- counted as full hands on the farm. Tony Kmg was 
receiving wages, and proud enough he felt when Spangler 
paid him the first twenty dollars he had ever earned. Every 
part of the farm was therefore showing the good effects of 
Uncle Benny's advice and exhortation to Spangler on the 
management of his land, and of the increased efficiency of 
the boys. Spangler had become quite willing to abandon 
many of his old neglectful ways, the result of which was seen 
in the improved appearance of everything about the premises. 
All the foul old hedge-rows that skirted the fences had been 
cleared up. He took far better care of his fodder. His 
buildings had been repaired, even to the extent of painting 
the house. Then he had reformed his ways about the barn- 
yard. Having received new ideas touching the value of 
manure, he had fallen into most of Uncle Benny's plans for 
increasing the supply. 

The consequence of all this was an immense increase in his 
crops, thus producing more money, and enabling him to meet 
the interest on his mortgage the very day it came due. His 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 2/3 

corn crops were now nearly equa^ t^o the best of his neighbors 
He had also quit raising his old razor-back breed of hogs, and 
confined himself exclusively to the Chester Whites. More 
than all this, he began to believe in the superior value of fruit 
culture, and had gone so far as to plant a thousand peach- 
trees. He even thought of setting out an acre or two of the 
improved blackberries, and as many more of other small 
fruits. Uncle Benny had thus proved himself a radical 
reformer of a multitude of abuses. 

It was interesting to the old man to note how much the 
comfort of Mrs. Spangler and the family was increased by this 
improvement in the management of the farm. Many little 
conveniences were now purchased Vv»l';. h Spangler always 
used to say he could n't afford to buy, because of that periodi- 
cal scarecrow, the interest on his mortgage. Sundry articles 
of new furniture were made to supplant the rickety affairs 
about the house and kitchen. Mrs. Spangler and her 
daughters had new frocks and bonnets much oftener than 
before Uncle Benny's appearance among them. Then Span- 
gler being one day at a neighboring vendue, bought a neai 
little family carriage, which was probably the greatest affaii 
of all. In every other domestic arrangement there was a 
manifest improvement, the whole change being the result of 
Uncle Benny's personal effort, during some six years, to teach 
Spangler and his boys a better mode of farming. 

The two young Spanglers had no other prospect but that 
iS 



274 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

of remaining to assist their father. He had more land than 
enough for all, even when divided up into two or three shares. 
As they became of age, their father paid them wages, and 
continued to let them have a large share in the profits of the 
Chester County Whites and the pigeons. Their pig enter- 
prise had proved a most profitable one, as the fact of their 
having taken a premium at the county fair did not seem to 
be forgotten over a wide stretch of country. Hence there 
was an extensive demand tor young pigs at far better prices 
than for the common breeds, it havmg been satistactoriiy 
proved that the Chester Whites will grow larger on less food 
than any other kind. For this reason they commanded a 
much higher price ; and as a multitude of farmers wanted to 
have the best, so the demand continued. Uncle Benny had 
repeatedly told the boys that it cost less to raise the best 
breed than to raise the poorest. Others thought so too, and 
hence the calls at the Spangler farm for Chester County 
Whites were so constant that a great enlargement of the pig 
department took place, much to the profit of the proprietors. 
But the case of Tony King was different from that of the 
Spanglers. He must shift for himself. It was known in the 
family that he intended to leave as soon as an opening turned 
up for him to buy or rent a farm for himself. They fre- 
quently talked the matter over among themselves, — where he 
had better locate, how much land to get, and what sort of 
farming he would carry on, — but no light came to guide 
him. 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 2/5 

He had saved a few hundred dollars to begin with, suffi- 
cient to purchase implements, but he had none with which to 
buy land. As to working for years at the small wages that 
Spangler was willing to pay, he could not J^ring his mind to 
think of it. 

The fact was now evident that Uncle Benny's exhortations 
for him to look upward, to aspire, had had their effect, and 
made him ambitious to strike out on his own land. One 
point, however, had been settled in his mind, — he was deter- 
mined to have a fruit larm near some great market. He knew 
it would be difficult to hire such an establishment, and much 
more difficult for him to purchase. He must therefore create 
it, and while his fruits were coming into bearing, he would 
cultivate the common crops, but would drop the latter as sooii 
as the former became productive. Though his plans were 
thus clearly determined on, the great difficulty was to carry 
them into effect. 

Uncle Benny had listened to the poor but brave fellow, 
sympathized with his longings, and counselled courage and 
patience, assuring him that all would yet come out right. 
Moreover, the old man entertained a strong affection for 
Tony, and was extremely anxious to see his favorite pupil 
established on some desirable spot that he might call his own, 
feeling sure that he would succeed. They often talked the 
matter over, sometimes when at work in the fields, and oftenei 
when with the family at home. 



276 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

While waiting, in this way, for some prospect tc present 
itself, Tony one day picked up a newspaper as he rose from 
the breakfast table, and, running his eye carelessly over it, fell 
upon an advertisement offering large bounties for volunteers. 

" Six hundred dollars* bounty for a volunteer ! " he called 
out aloud. *' Think of that. Uncle Benny ! " he cried. 
" Won't that be a help to me ? I '11 go to Trenton and 
enlist ! " 

The family were struck with amazement at this unexpected 
announcement. But none except the youngest children 
could say a word in discouragement of his intention. These 
knew too little of the rebellion, its wicked object, and still 
more wicked cause, to estimate the mighty results to religion 
and humanity all the world over which hung suspended in 
the balance of its success or failure. They knew only that 
they loved Tony, and could not think of parting with him, — 
they said he should not volunteer. 

What could Uncle Benny say to this determination of 
Tony } The old man was running over with patriotic horror 
at the bloody efforts of the slaveholder's rebellion to destroy 
the national life, and could utter no word that might discour- 
age even one brave heart from entering the glorious army 
which was then battling for the national integrity. He 
realized the loss which Tony's absence would be to him, and 
the dangers which the brave fellow would encounter in the 
smoke and carnage of the battle-field. Never, until that 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 27/ 

moment, had he known the extent of his affection for Tony, 
or the terrible domestic desolation which that unrighteous 
rebellion was everywhere producing. But while praising his 
determination, he bade him think well before he acted, and 
if bent on entering the ranks, to let love for his country form 
some portion of his motive, and not allow the offer of a large 
bounty to be the only inducement. 

" But I shall go," rejoined Tony. " Six hundred dollars 
will make me up ; and who knows but I may come back 
an officer ? " 

" Yes," added Mrs. Spangler, " but suppose you never come 
^ack. Of what use will be your bounty then ? " 

But if the thought of enlisting were a sudden one, so was 
ihe determination inflexible. No persuasion could alter it ; 
for Tony, without being either obstinate or stubborn, had 
always had a mind of his own, and he was now master of 
his time, either to enter the army or to remain upon the 
farm. 

Next morning, sure enough, he started for the recruiting 
office at Trenton, where he learned that the demand for men 
was urgent, and that six hundred dollars' bounty was given to 
each. A great crowd was in and around the office, and he 
saw the money counted out to each volunteer as he was mus- 
tered in. He looked at it, and thought a like sum would go 
a great way toward procuring such a farm as he would have 
to be contented with. 



2/8 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

In the evening he returned home to make preparation foi 
his departure. But that was quickly done, for his wardrobe 
was scanty, and he had no accounts to settle. His last even- 
ing with the family was sad enough, — sad for himself, and 
sad for all others. There was a profusion of hopes and 
regrets, and a burden of kind injunctions. Mrs. Spangler 
and the girls cried at the prospect of letting him go. Uncle 
Benny exhorted him, however and wherever he might be 
situated, to do his whole duty, keeping a clear conscience, 
and never forgetting his Creator. 

After breakfast the next morning, Tony was ready to set 
off on his perilous enterprise. Uncle Benny was to drive 
him to Trenton, where he would see that he received his full 
bounty money, and deposit it for him in the saving-fund. 
Tony and his venerable protector had seated themselves in 
the carriage, and the family had shaken hands with him for 
the last time, when a man of very genteel appearance, and 
past middle age, presented himself among them. He had 
entered the gate and walked up to the carriage without being 
noticed, so entirely was every one's attention occupied by 
poor Tony's departure. 

The stranger saw at a glance that something unusual was 
eoing on. There were Mrs. Spangler and the girls wiping 
their eyes, while the countenance of even Farmer Spangler 
had lost its usual hard expression, and now gave token of a 
profound regret. Breaking silence, however, he inquired, — 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 



279 



" What does all this mean, my friends ? Has any misfor- 
tune overtaken this family ? " 

" Going into the army, sir," replied Tony, in a firm voice ; 
" aiid I 'm just bidding them good by." 







The strange gentleman looked at him attentively, then cast 
his eyes around the party, and then again turning to Tony, 
inquired, — 

" But what may be your name, young man ? ** 

" Tony King, sir," was the reply. 



280 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

" Anthony King ! " he exclaimed. " The Lord be praised 
for bringing me here ! " And instantly he mounted into the 
carriage, seized Tony's hand, and embraced him with the 
warmest affection. 

" You do not know me," he resumed. " You were only a 
child when you last saw your Uncle Alfred, but I am he, and 
after a long search I have at last discovered you. No going 
into the army to-day ! I have a great deal to say to you. 
Come out, Tony, and let us become better acquainted with 
each other." 

Here was the greatest surprise that could have happened 
to every one who witnessed it. True enough, Tony, when a 
mere child, remembered having seen his Uncle Alfred. He 
knew also that he had disappeared from among his relatives, 
and gone no one knew whither. No tidings of him having 
been received, he was given up for dead. Tony, knowing 
so little of him, had altogether forgotten that such a relative 
existed. But it was most extraordinary that his reappearance 
should happen at the critical moment of Tony's departure 
from Mr. Spangler's, and that it should lead to the breaking 
up of all Tony's plans for entering the army. 

The horse was quickly taken out of the carriage, Tony's 
little bundle was replaced in his chamber, the girls dried up 
their tears of sorrow, but wept fresh ones of joy, the boys 
recovered their spirits, and even Uncle Benny's heart was 
made lighter by the prospect of Tony 's still remaining among 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 28l 

them. It was one of those sudden transitions from genera) 
grief to general joy which sometimes occur in human 
experience. Tony was less affected than the others. He 
had obeyed his uncle's command without exactly understand- 
ing the object, or what was to be the end of it. 

But Alfred King had mingled with his fellow-men all over 
the world, and, being able to make himself at home wherever 
he might happen to be, soon brought his new acquaintances 
to an understanding of his character and intentions. Leav- 
ing home poor and friendless, he had fought out for himself, 
in a remote section of the country, the great battle of life, and 
had now returned to his native State, not overburdened with 
riches, but with moderate fortune, — not enough for many of 
uSf but sufficient for /iit/z. The disposition to be satisfied with 
what he had acquired, in reality made him rich, — for riches 
come of a contented mind, not of an overflowing purse. 

He had now returned to settle somewhere near the spot 
where he was born. He had been searching for his relatives, 
but, in an absence of many years, all but Tony had been 
swept away by death. Him he sought long and anxiously, 
and by the merest accident learned of his being with the 
Spanglers. By the singular coincidence just related, he 
reached that farm-house just as the object of his search was 
about departing to enroll himself in the army of his country. 
One hour's delay in arriving there would have seen Tony 
beyond the reach of his affectionate intentions. 



I % FARMING FOR BOYS. 

A genial intimacy soon sprung up between Mr. King and 
Uncle Benny. The latter gave him a connected history of 
his nephew, how well he had behaved himself, how worthy he 
was of his love and protection, and how ardently he desired 
to strike out for himself as the owner of a farm. It was natu- 
ral that Mr. King should concentrate upon his only surviving 
relative his whole affections. He had enough of this world's 
goods for both of them, and he avowed to Uncle Benny his 
intention of establishing for himself and Tony such a home as 
the deserving boy was longing after. 

Now, it had always been insisted on by Uncle Benny, in his 
arguments with Spangler, that the latter was farming too 
much land ; and that he would thrive better, make more 
money, and have less work to do, if he would sell one half 
Some men might drive a hundred acres to great advantage, 
but Spangler was not one of them. Organized as he was, he 
could do better with a half than with the whole. Spangler 
had uniformly resisted this doctrine. But latterly, however, 
the truth as pioclaimed by Uncle Benny had been slowly 
working its way into his mind. He did not resist so stub- 
bornly as at first. True, no one had ever offered to buy any 
portion of the farm, hence he had never been tried by the 
test of opportunity. 

But the temptation to divide his hundred acres was now to 
be held out to him. Tony King's ambition extended only to 
thiity acres. He explained to his uncle what he intended to 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 283 

do with such a tract. He had made a rude sketch on paper 
of his plans. There was to be a great peach-orchard, a pear- 
orchard, and twenty acres were to be stocked with berries, 
leaving room for all vegetables for domestic use, and pasture 
for a cow. 

There were thirty acres at one end of Spangler s farm 
whith would exactly suit him. They embraced the famous 
brier-patch, from which so many hundred dollars had been 
annually realized ; besides, it would produce them an immedi- 
ate income. If his uncle would only buy this thirty-acre lot, 
and put up a small house, he would work the farm to his 
entire satisfaction. When urging the matter on his attention, 
the boy's enthusiasm became unbounded. He grew eloquent 
as he counted up the profit from his fruits, and finally in- 
fused into his uncle's mind some portion of his own sanguine 
fervor. 

The contemplated purchase was of course no secret in 
Spangler's family. Under Uncle Benny's urgency, Spangler 
at last consented to sell ; but though satisfied it was probably 
best for him, he gave up to it with stubborn reluctance, — it 
was hard to part with his land. Then it went hardest of al' 
to give up the great brier-patch. The "old field," which, in 
the face of Spangler's ridicule and prophecies of failure, Uncle 
Benny had converted into a gold mine, he now prized as the 
most valuable part of his farm. But Tony refused to buy 
unless he could secure the brier-patch. This controversy was 



284 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

finally adjusted by Mr. King consenting to give three prices 
for what was once known as the " old field." 

" Now," said Uncle Benny to Spangler, when the bargain 
had been concluded, " take this money and pay off your mort- 
gage. When you laughed at me for undertaking the ' old 
field/ did n't I tell you it could be made to pay your mort- 
gage, and has it not turned out even better than I said ? " 

What reply could Spangler make to so searching a ques- 
tion } He did manage to smile, but said nothing. 

No happier young farmer lives in New Jersey than Tony 
King. His thirty acres are all that he covets, and all that he. 
now thinks he shall ever want. Setting out with moderate 
views, the hope is that moderation will continue to be his rule. 
His farm is fast becoming a pattern for his neighbors to imi- 
tate. But it was no light task to clear up and make good the 
long neglect of his predecessor. As all reformers, whether of 
land or of something else, have difficulties to overcome, so had 
Tony a full share ; but then one half of them would never 
occur again. It is only the beginners who really have the 
hard work. His smaller fruits were planted even before the 
dwelling-house had been put up. Then followed his peach, 
and pear, and apple, and cherry trees. One crop of straw- 
berries has already been marketed, and whoever drives by his 
peach-orchard about the last of any April, will discover it to 
be a wilderness of blossoms. 

There are folks in this world who do not know what is a 



FARMING FOR BOYS. 285 

good thing, even when they see it. Tony was not one of 
these. He had seen, and tried, and proved the Chester 
County Whites, and knew them to be the best breed of swine 
that could be had. Hence he obtained from the Spanglers a 
very respectable number to begin with, and bought others 
elsewhere, so as to secure a proper mixture. Though his 
pens are far more capacious and stylish than the Spanglers', 
yet the latter feel no envy, nor do they look upon Tony as a 
rival ; but these three young farmers continue in constant 
and intimate intercourse with each other. The Spanglers are 
never too weary to walk over of an evening to see Tony, and 
hear him tell of what he is doing, and what he intends to do 
next. His uncle is so indulgent that Tony is able to branch 
out in a way that far surpasses all the Spanglers could afford. 
But being principally in little things, the cost is moderate, 
while the comfort and gratification are very great. Bill Span- 
gler was so struck with two or three little notions which Tony 
crowded on his attention, that he once declared he didn't 
know whether it was not better for a boy to have only an 
uncle instead of a father. 

Tony longs for nothing of the great city beyond its daily 
newspaper. He sighs after no brown-stone mansion, no city 
luxuries, no city fortune ; and, coveting none of these, he is 
happily beyond the reach of those countless vicissitudes which 
make city life so wearing to the heart; of the temptations 
which are so prone to overcome the moral susceptibilities, and 



286 FARMING FOR BOYS. 

of those ups and downs of fortune from which no foresight 
seems able to protect the most acute observer. Thus, if not 
likely to become suddenly rich, he runs no hazard of becom- 
ing poor. 

Uncle Benny's mission has been accomplished. As years 
accumulate upon him, his joints stiffen, and his activity dimin- 
ishes. But even though thus disabled in body, he continues 
to be unto the boys their " guide, philosopher, and friend." 

How vast a field there is among us for farming by the 
Meti I But an equally extensive one exists for farming by the 
Boys. If it be generously and kindly thrown open to them, 
thousands will gladly enter, and will grow up better and hap- 
pier men than if reared in the hot-bed of a great city. 



THE END, 



NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



The Young Folks' Bible History. By Charlotte M. 
Yonge. Boston: D. Lothrop & Co. Trice $1.50. No vol- 
ume of tlie past year issued in Uie interest of cliiklreu is en- 
titled to more particular notice than this. Miss Yonge has 
in its pages put the grand old Bible story into a form which 
the youngest readers can easily comprehend. The language 
is simple and the facts are told in modern style; one great 
stumbling-block to the understanding being thus removed. 
Beginning witli the account of the creation, succeeding 
chapters carry along the Scriptural record to tlie time of the 
prophets, and from their day down to the appearance of the 
Saviour upon the eartJL The life and teachings of Jesus 
are especially dwelt upon. The volume is profusely illus- 
trated with drawings by English artists. We cannot too 
cordially commend the plan of this work, or the excellent 
manner in which it is carried out. It will be found not only 
valuable for home teaching, but for use in the infant classes 
of Sunday-schools. 

The Pr.ixcE axd the PAGi^:. By Charlotte M. Yonge. 
Boston: U. Lothrop & Co. Price $1.00. Miss Yonge's 
series of liistorical novels, The Prince and the Page, Little 
Duke, and The Lances of Lynwood will prove as fascinating 
to young readers as the romances of Walter Scott were to 
their fathers forty years ago. They are based on real 
events, and give vivid pictures of life in England in the 
olden time, when manners and customs, and even the modes 
of speech, were different from those of our day. The author 
has carefully studied her materials and surroundings, and 
these books may be regarded as giving a tolerably faithful 
idea of the times and people they are designed to describe. 
In speaking of the plan of this series the author says: 
"There can be no doubt, in spite of its inevitable faults, 
this style of composition does tend to fix young people's in- 
terest and attention on the scenes it treats of, and to vivify 
the cliaracters it describes." The action of Prince and Page 
takes place in the reign of Edward L, in the thirteenth cen- 
tury, and most of the characters are people of the court. 
The story is based upon the old ballad of "The Blind Beg- 
gar's Daughter of Betbnal Green.'" 



BOOKS OF Merit. 



Young Folks' History of Germany. By Charlotte 
M. Yonge. Very fully illustrated. D. Lotlirop & Co., Uos- 
toii. Price $1.50. 

We welcome the set of Histories of which this is the initial 
volume. Since Dickens' Child's History of England, notliing 
so tempting has been offered to our young folks, and 
we i^redict tliat these volumes will displace tlie stories oi 
fictitious and improbable adventures now found on many a 
boy's bookslielf. Miss Yonge, while always boldly and 
continuously outlining the course of historical events, has the 
knack of seizing upon incidents which reveal the true char- 
acter of historical personages; thus she makes her narrative 
very pleasing, especially to a young reader. Indeed her 
History of Germany ought to satisfy the most ardent lover of 
adventure, for its pages are crowded with soldiers, knights 
and heroes, baby kings, little girl queens, and boy emj)erors. 
German History, dating back before Christ, abounds with 
wonderful mythology, romantic exploits, and swift, bold 
deeds; and Miss Yonge begins with the giants of Valhalla and 
comes on down through the noisy days of Wallenstein into 
our own times to Bismark, who, perhaps, is quite as mighty 
a man as tlie boldest of the old Captains. 

The book, besides assisting one to understand the whys and 
wherefores of the present geography of Europe, and giving 
an insight into modern European politics, has also an abun- 
dance of pictures which affords a good idea of German 
costumes and customs in the early ages. 

Royal, Lowrie. A Bov's Book. By Charles R. Talbot. 
Large IGmo. with 12 pen-and-ink pictures by Hopkins. 
Boston: D. Lothrop & Co. Price, $1.25. 

This capitally written story of school and vacation life is 
bound to become a standard in boys' libraries. It is full of 
fun, and yet not coarse fun. It tells the story of the troubles 
got into and blunders made by half a dozen people, young 
and old, the principal characters being two schoolfellows. 
Royal Lowrie and Archie Bishop. It is an essentially 
"live" book, and the boy who fails to read it loses just so 
)uuch genuine enjoyment. 



.^ ' C'^snS^'XV ~> 



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